Most media pitches die in the first sentence.

Reporters get 200+ pitches a day. They read maybe 20. They respond to maybe two. The pitch that lands isn't longer, isn't cleverer, and isn't better-written than the ones that don't. It just does one thing the others don't: it makes the reporter's job easier in the first two lines.

Here's what actually works. Templates included. Copy them. Modify them. Send them.

The Rule Every Pitch Now Lives By

The reporter is not your audience. The reporter's story is your audience.

Every pitch should answer, in the first two lines: what is the story, why now, and why is my source the right one to tell it. If any of those three are missing, the pitch dies.

The Anatomy of a Pitch That Lands

  • Subject line: 6–10 words. Names the story hook, not the source. "CFO to launch tender offer" beats "Interview opportunity with X."
  • First line: the news or the angle. Not the greeting. Not the reference to their last article. The news.
  • Second line: why now. Timing hook — an event, a data point, a policy change, an anniversary.
  • Third line: the source. Who they'd talk to, why that person, what they know.
  • Fourth line: what's offered. Interview, data, exclusive, embargo, on-background — spell it out.
  • Fifth line: the ask. "Can I set up a call this week?" Direct. One question. One decision.
  • Sign-off with mobile phone number. Reporters call before they email back when they're on deadline.

What Reporters Actually Told Us They Delete Instantly

  • Any pitch that starts with "Hope this finds you well."
  • Any pitch that references their beat wrongly. The tech reporter who covers AI does not want your DTC skincare launch. Ever.
  • Any pitch with the phrase "thought leader," "revolutionary," "game-changer," or "disrupting."
  • Any pitch longer than 200 words.
  • Any pitch that buries the news past the first paragraph.
  • Any pitch with an attachment. Link to the assets. Attachments trigger security filters.
  • Any pitch sent to 400 people via BCC. They can see it. So can the algorithm.

Template 1: The Executive-Announcement Pitch

Subject: New CTO at [Company] — from [Prior Company]
Hi [Reporter first name],


[Company] just hired [Name] as CTO. She was previously [Role] at [Prior Company] — where she [specific accomplishment].


This is timely because [Company] is [product move / funding round / market moment].


[Name] can talk about:


    

  • [Specific angle 1]
    • 

  • [Specific angle 2]
    • 

  • [Specific angle 3]
    • 



I can offer a 20-minute call this week — Tues or Thurs afternoon works.


[Your name]
[Mobile]

Template 2: The Data Pitch

Subject: Data — 62% of CFOs now use AI for forecasting (up from 18%)
Hi [Reporter first name],


We surveyed 850 CFOs in Q4. 62% now use generative AI in financial forecasting — up from 18% a year ago. Full dataset attached [link], embargoed until Tuesday 9am ET.


Why now: [Bloomberg / WSJ / your outlet] has been covering the CFO-AI adoption curve. This is the first cross-industry benchmark with real N.


Interviews available:


    

  • [Name], study lead
    • 

  • [Name], CFO of [named company] who participated
    • 



Want to walk through the numbers before Tuesday?


[Your name]
[Mobile]

Template 3: The Crisis-Response Pitch (Newsjacking)

Subject: On [breaking news topic] — [Source name] available
Hi [Reporter first name],


Saw your piece on [breaking news event]. [Source name], [title at company], is available to comment on [specific angle they can speak to authoritatively].


Background: [1 sentence on why they're the right voice — a credential, an experience, a data point].


Quote pre-approved and ready if useful — happy to send over. Or call: [Mobile].


[Your name]

Template 4: The Exclusive Offer

Subject: Exclusive — [Company] launching [product] Tuesday
Hi [Reporter first name],


Offering you first look at [Company]'s [product launch / funding round / hire]. Announcing Tuesday morning.


Why it matters: [1 sentence — market shift, competitive move, valuation, category creation].


On offer: CEO interview, exclusive data, first look at the [product / deck / demo], embargo until Tues 6am ET.


Interested? Can get you on the phone with [CEO name] tomorrow.


[Your name]
[Mobile]

Template 5: The Founder-Voice Op-Ed Pitch

Subject: Op-ed pitch — Why [contrarian position on relevant topic]
Hi [Editor first name],


Pitching an op-ed from [Name], founder of [Company]:


"[Working headline]"


Argument: [2-sentence summary of the position — including the counter-position it's arguing against].


Author credential: [1-sentence why this founder can make this argument credibly].


Draft ready to send if this is a fit for [Publication]. 850 words. Open to your edits and framing.


[Your name]

The Follow-Up: One Time, Three Business Days Later

One follow-up. Three business days after the original. Same thread. Two sentences.

Circling back on this in case it got buried. Still available and happy to move fast if useful for [reporter's beat / current story].

No second follow-up. Ever. The reporter saw it. If it fit, they would have answered. Move on. Send them something better next time.

Building the Right Media List

The pitch is only half the equation. The list is the other half.

  • Smaller than you think. 20–30 reporters per pitch, not 300. Depth beats width.
  • Beat-specific, not outlet-specific. "Business Insider" isn't a target. "[Name], enterprise SaaS reporter at Business Insider" is a target.
  • Recent work matters. Never pitch a reporter who hasn't published on your topic in the last 90 days. They've likely moved on or moved beats.
  • Read them before you pitch them. Every time. Reference something specific and recent — not from a year ago.

The AI-Era Layer

The pitch used to have one audience: the reporter. It now has two: the reporter, and the AI engines that will eventually retrieve the resulting article for their answers.

Reporters increasingly research sources through ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity. If your source shows up in AI-engine responses as an authority in the topic — with citations from prior coverage, owned research, and industry commentary — the pitch does not have to work as hard to earn a response. The AI vetting has already happened.

The takeaway: thought leadership feeds media relations feeds thought leadership. Build both together.

The Bottom Line

Media pitching is not creative writing. It's operational writing. Short, specific, useful, timed to the reporter's cycle. The pitches that work follow a small number of patterns. The templates above are five of the highest-hit patterns from twenty-three years of pitching — used, refined, still landing.

Copy them. Test them. Send them. Keep score. The best pitches always beat the best writers.

FAQ

How long should a media pitch be?

Under 200 words. Ideally under 150. Anything longer signals the sender doesn't understand a reporter's day.

Should I follow up on a pitch?

Once, three business days after the original, in the same thread, in two sentences. Never a second follow-up.

What's the best time of day to send a pitch?

Tuesday through Thursday, between 6:30 and 8:30 AM in the reporter's time zone. Before their editorial standup, after their inbox reset. Avoid Mondays and Friday afternoons.

Should the CEO send the pitch or the PR team?

Depends on the story. Founder-voice pitches from the CEO's own email hit differently — especially for op-eds and exclusive announcements. Everything else goes from the PR team.

About the author

Ronn Torossian is the founder and chairman of 5W AI Communications, the AI Communications Firm. He is the publisher of Everything-PR and the author of two best-selling editions of For Immediate Release.