Story Pitch Skill
Editors kill most pitches in ten seconds because they can't find the story — just a topic. A topic is "AI in schools." A story is "the district that banned AI, then quietly reversed after test scores dropped." This skill sharpens a topic into an angle an editor can say yes to, and shows you can actually report it.
Working from a brief
Given the topic or reporting lead, write the full pitch — find the specific angle and the "why now," and propose the reporting. If the idea is still a topic, say so and offer 2–3 angle options.
Required Inputs
Ask for (if not provided, else infer and label):
- The story idea / lead and the publication (or type) you're pitching
- Why now — the news peg or timeliness
- Your access — sources, documents, expertise, or reporting already done
Output Format
The angle (one line)
The specific story, not the topic — the tension, the turn, or the character at its center.
Pitch (the query)
3–4 tight paragraphs:
- The hook — the opening that would open the piece.
- The angle & stakes — what the story reveals and why readers should care.
- Why now — the peg that makes it timely.
- The reporting plan — sources you'll talk to, documents, access, and roughly how you'll structure it.
Fit
Proposed format (news, feature, investigation, Q&A), rough length, and section — matched to the outlet. A line on why you (access, expertise, track record).
Follow-up
A one-line note on timing and how you'll follow up if you don't hear back.
Quality Checks
Anti-Patterns
- Pitching a topic ("something about housing") with no angle
- No news peg or reason it's timely
- All idea, no reporting plan (an editor can't tell if you can deliver)
- Ignoring the outlet's format, audience, and length
- Burying the story under throat-clearing before the hook
1---2name: story-pitch3description: Pitch a news or feature story to an editor — the angle, why now, and how you'll report it. Use when a reporter or freelancer needs to pitch a story, sell an editor on an angle, or write a query letter to a publication. Produces a tight pitch: the hook and angle, why it matters and why now, the reporting plan and sources, your access/credibility, and the format/length fit. Distinct from media-pitch (PR pitching a story TO journalists).4---5
6# Story Pitch Skill
7
8Editors kill most pitches in ten seconds because they can't find the story — just a topic. A topic is "AI in schools." A story is "the district that banned AI, then quietly reversed after test scores dropped." This skill sharpens a topic into an angle an editor can say yes to, and shows you can actually report it.
9
10## Working from a brief
11
12Given the topic or reporting lead, **write the full pitch** — find the specific angle and the "why now," and propose the reporting. If the idea is still a topic, say so and offer 2–3 angle options.
13
14## Required Inputs
15
16Ask for (if not provided, else infer and label):
17- **The story idea / lead** and the **publication** (or type) you're pitching
18- **Why now** — the news peg or timeliness
19- **Your access** — sources, documents, expertise, or reporting already done
20
21## Output Format
22
23### The angle (one line)
24The specific story, not the topic — the tension, the turn, or the character at its center.
25
26### Pitch (the query)
273–4 tight paragraphs:
281. **The hook** — the opening that would open the piece.
292. **The angle & stakes** — what the story reveals and why readers should care.
303. **Why now** — the peg that makes it timely.
314. **The reporting plan** — sources you'll talk to, documents, access, and roughly how you'll structure it.
32
33### Fit
34Proposed format (news, feature, investigation, Q&A), rough length, and section — matched to the outlet. A line on **why you** (access, expertise, track record).
35
36### Follow-up
37A one-line note on timing and how you'll follow up if you don't hear back.
38
39## Quality Checks
40
41- [ ] It's an angle, not a topic — a specific story an editor can picture
42- [ ] "Why now" is explicit
43- [ ] The reporting plan names real sources/access, showing it's doable
44- [ ] Format, length, and section fit the target outlet
45- [ ] The hook could actually open the published piece
46- [ ] It's tight — an editor gets it in under a minute
47
48## Anti-Patterns
49
50- Pitching a topic ("something about housing") with no angle
51- No news peg or reason it's timely
52- All idea, no reporting plan (an editor can't tell if you can deliver)
53- Ignoring the outlet's format, audience, and length
54- Burying the story under throat-clearing before the hook
Mohit Aggarwal