1 Learn the concept
This lesson covers the pitch framework to follow when writing an email to the media. Journalists receive many pitches, so yours must be short, relevant and easy to say yes to. A good pitch has a clear subject line, a short story summary, why it matters to their audience and an offer of what you can provide.
2 See it in action
- Subject line: say what the story is.
- Opening: why it is relevant to their readers.
- Details: the key facts in a few lines.
- Close: what you can offer, such as an interview or images.
Worked example
A pitch in five sentences
1. A subject line with the news.
2. Why it matters to their readers, with one number.
3. Who is available to talk and when.
4. A visual or document attached or linked.
5. A friendly close and one follow-up after a few days.
Check: address the journalist by name and mention something they covered before.
3 Study an example
Example scenario
A pitch reads: "Local café turns food waste into free meals. Founder available for interview this week; photos attached." It is short, specific and easy for an editor to act on.
4 Apply it and download
- Write a pitch for your chosen story.
- Shorten it to under 150 words.
- Use the media pitch template.
Worksheet Media pitch template and press list trackerOpen, print or save as PDF