Public relations
Newsworthy is a high bar
Most company news is not news. Before pitching, find the actual story — the thing a journalist's
readers would care about with your company removed from the sentence.
Genuinely newsworthy: a first, a significant number, a counter-intuitive finding from data you
uniquely have, a named conflict, a consequential person moving. Not newsworthy: a funding round of
ordinary size, a feature release, a partnership, an award, a rebrand.
If there is no story, the answer is to build one — original research is the most reliable way — not
to pitch harder.
Pitching
Journalists receive hundreds of pitches a day and reject most in seconds.
- Pitch a person, not an outlet. Read three of their recent pieces first and reference one
specifically and accurately. Generic personalization is worse than none.
- Subject line is the pitch. If it does not carry the story, nothing else will be read.
- Three sentences: the story, why now, why you can speak to it. Offer the assets — data,
interview, images — rather than attaching them.
- No embargo without agreement. Declaring one unilaterally is not binding and reads as
presumptuous.
- One follow-up, then stop.
Interviews
Decide the two or three things you want to have said, and find honest routes back to them. Never
speculate, never say anything you would not want printed, and treat nothing as off the record unless
explicitly agreed in advance — and even then, assume it may not hold.
"I don't know, I'll find out" is a complete and respectable answer.
When a story goes badly
- Speed matters, but accuracy matters more. A fast wrong statement extends the story.
- Say what happened, what you are doing, and when you will update. Only that.
- Never dispute a factual detail you have not verified, and never attack the reporter. Both
guarantee a second story.
- Correct genuine errors privately, with evidence, and specifically. Vague complaints about tone
achieve nothing.
1---2name: public-relations3description: Plans and executes earned media — press strategy, journalist outreach, announcements, commentary, and crisis response. Use this to plan a press push, write a pitch or release, find and approach the right journalists, prepare for an interview, decide whether something is newsworthy, or respond to a story going badly.4---5
6# Public relations
7
8## Newsworthy is a high bar
9
10Most company news is not news. Before pitching, find the actual story — the thing a journalist's
11readers would care about with your company removed from the sentence.
12
13Genuinely newsworthy: a first, a significant number, a counter-intuitive finding from data you
14uniquely have, a named conflict, a consequential person moving. Not newsworthy: a funding round of
15ordinary size, a feature release, a partnership, an award, a rebrand.
16
17If there is no story, the answer is to build one — original research is the most reliable way — not
18to pitch harder.
19
20## Pitching
21
22Journalists receive hundreds of pitches a day and reject most in seconds.
23
24- **Pitch a person, not an outlet.** Read three of their recent pieces first and reference one
25 specifically and accurately. Generic personalization is worse than none.
26- **Subject line is the pitch.** If it does not carry the story, nothing else will be read.
27- **Three sentences**: the story, why now, why you can speak to it. Offer the assets — data,
28 interview, images — rather than attaching them.
29- **No embargo without agreement.** Declaring one unilaterally is not binding and reads as
30 presumptuous.
31- **One follow-up, then stop.**
32
33## Interviews
34
35Decide the two or three things you want to have said, and find honest routes back to them. Never
36speculate, never say anything you would not want printed, and treat nothing as off the record unless
37explicitly agreed in advance — and even then, assume it may not hold.
38
39"I don't know, I'll find out" is a complete and respectable answer.
40
41## When a story goes badly
42
43- **Speed matters, but accuracy matters more.** A fast wrong statement extends the story.
44- **Say what happened, what you are doing, and when you will update.** Only that.
45- **Never dispute a factual detail you have not verified**, and never attack the reporter. Both
46 guarantee a second story.
47- Correct genuine errors privately, with evidence, and specifically. Vague complaints about tone
48 achieve nothing.
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