5 Ways to Break Through the Noise With Journalists

To break through the noise and capture journalists’ attention, it’s essential to craft a compelling pitch.

In this article, I provide tips to help PR pitches get noticed and leave journalists eager for more.

1. Write a compelling subject line

Before a journalist will open your email and read your full pitch, you need to capture their attention with an attention-grabbing subject line. 

Think of the headlines that lure you in and incite you to click on an article. What makes it engaging? Perhaps it’s provocative, strikes curiosity or offers timely, valuable information. 

Similar to a headline, think of your subject line as the first line of defense in capturing a journalist's attention.

Best practice is to aim for a concise subject line, ideally containing no more than 10 words. While it's important to avoid both spam filters and clickbait, you should also aim to include just the right amount of keywords relevant to your pitch.

However, it shouldn’t stop there– enhance your subject line with a compelling statistic, data, or a fresh insight. Avoid being generic, and if you can, be as personable as possible in your subject line. 

As the old journalist adage goes: Don’t bury the lede. 

2. Do your research

It can be tempting to want to type up an email and hit “send", but it’s important to do your homework first before pitching journalists.

Read their previous articles, immerse yourself in their writing style and areas of interest, and identify the stories that spark their enthusiasm. 

What type of stories do they repost on their social feed? What pieces do they engage with the most? You can easily pinpoint how a journalist feels about a certain topic through comments, retweets, or threads. 

Personalizing your pitch to the journalist’s readership will allow them to see the value in covering your story. 

3. Ensure your pitch is timely and relevant

You may have an exciting story, but if it's not relevant to the journalist's niche, it’s going to get deleted or worse (see #PRfail on X).

Pitching a story in line with the journalist’s beat demonstrates that you’ve done your research and understand their work. 

Offer timely and valuable information that provides a fresh perspective or a new insight on a trending topic. Remember, journalists receive hundreds of pitches a day, so the information you provide must be unique and add significant value to the journalist’s target audience. 

“Audience is important, but consider the newsworthiness of your pitch” says Maya Pope, Director of Content at LinkedIn Editorial. “Every story needs tension or conflict. What are the push pull factors? What is the obstacle or challenge?”

What makes a pitch relevant and timely is its capacity to engage the reader with a hook, while also effectively conveying the urgency and significance of the story.

4. Package a compelling pitch

Depending on the assignment, journalists can work on stories during weekdays and even weekends, sometimes dedicating months on end to a single piece. When pitching, the more you can assist in lightening their workload, the better.

Make it easy for the journalist to envision themselves writing a compelling story by providing them with as much detail and information as possible.

Put yourself in the mind of the reader and the journalist: What types of stories produce the most impact? 

Our brains process and understand visual information faster than text or numbers. Enhance your pitch by packaging it with assets such as videos, images, quotes, case studies, infographics, and more. 

Think about the last story you encountered in the media. It may have included infographics that helped you understand complex data or captivating images that evoked strong emotions.

Incorporating multimedia assets into your pitch, boosts your credibility with journalists and increases your chances of gaining coverage.

5. Become a reliable source

If you can establish yourself as a go-to-expert in a specific niche, journalists are more likely to turn to you for your knowledge and expertise. 

At TaleSplash, we use tools such as Qwoted, HARO, and Substack to respond to journalists’ requests for sources. 

The key is to remain consistent. For example, if there’s a breaking news story and you have some valuable information that will add legs to a story, promptly responding to a journalist’s inquiry will make you stand out as a go-to reliable source. 

You can foster relationships with journalists by engaging with them on social media by liking, retweeting, and reposting their content. When a journalist in your niche publishes a new article, you can also enhance your credibility by sharing your personal insights and takeaways. 

Introduce yourself to journalists at in-person events. Avoid being too pushy and abrasive – instead, interact with them authentically. 

Becoming a reliable source to journalists begins with providing actual value to them, not just promoting your own agenda. Consider their time – many journalists are working against tight deadlines, so any story angle, soundbite, or visual you provide can make their job easier. 

Make it easy for journalists to contact you by providing multiple forms of contact information, such as phone and email.

Through consistency, overtime, you will strengthen your relationship with journalists. 

Breaking through the noise and capturing journalists' attention may initially seem daunting, but with the right strategy, you can establish a foothold. The key is to be as intentional as possible with your pitch, provide valuable information that enhances a story, and maintain consistency in your online interactions with journalists. By following these tips, you'll be well on your way to securing coverage in top media outlets.

Want to learn more about how we pitch our clients? Book some time with us to discuss how we can help you make a Splash.