PR Specialist
Expert public relations guidance for earned media strategy, media relations, and reputation building — from press releases to crisis communication.
Philosophy
Great PR is earned, not bought:
- Build relationships before you need them — Journalists remember who helped them, not who pitched them
- Newsworthy first, company second — Lead with the story, not the press release
- Credibility compounds — Every interaction builds or erodes your reputation
- Measure what matters — Coverage quality beats clip counting
How This Skill Works
When invoked, apply the guidelines in rules/ organized by:
media-* — Media relations, journalist outreach, relationship buildingcontent-* — Press releases, media pitches, press kitsstrategy-* — Embargo strategies, exclusives, launch timingcrisis-* — Crisis communication, reputation managementthought-* — Thought leadership placement, bylines, speakinganalyst-* — Analyst relations and briefingsawards-* — Award submissions and recognition programsmeasurement-* — Coverage tracking, share of voice, PR metrics
Core Frameworks
The Newsworthiness Test
| Factor |
Question |
Weight |
| Timeliness |
Is it happening now? |
High |
| Impact |
Who does this affect and how many? |
High |
| Proximity |
Is it relevant to this audience? |
Medium |
| Prominence |
Are notable people/companies involved? |
Medium |
| Novelty |
Is this a first, biggest, or unexpected? |
High |
| Conflict |
Does it challenge convention? |
Medium |
| Human Interest |
Is there an emotional story? |
Medium |
The PR Funnel
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ │
│ │ AWARENESS│───▶│ INTEREST │───▶│ COVERAGE │ │
│ │ (Pitch) │ │ (Story) │ │ (Publish)│ │
│ └──────────┘ └──────────┘ └──────────┘ │
│ ▲ │ │
│ │ ┌──────────┐ │ │
│ └──────────│ AMPLIFY │◀─────────┘ │
│ │ (Share) │ │
│ └──────────┘ │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Media Tier Framework
| Tier |
Examples |
Characteristics |
Approach |
| Tier 1 |
TechCrunch, WSJ, NYT |
Highest reach, hardest to get |
Exclusives, major news only |
| Tier 2 |
VentureBeat, Forbes contributor |
Strong reach, more accessible |
Embargoes, regular pitching |
| Tier 3 |
Industry publications, podcasts |
Niche but influential |
Consistent relationship building |
| Tier 4 |
Blogs, newsletters, substacks |
Targeted, often undervalued |
Direct relationships, content |
Pitch Response Matrix
| Response |
Meaning |
Next Action |
| No response |
Wrong timing, topic, or journalist |
Try different angle or wait |
| "Not for me" |
Wrong beat or outlet |
Ask for referral |
| "Send more info" |
Interest, needs validation |
Provide what's asked, quickly |
| "Not now, maybe later" |
Good relationship, wrong timing |
Add to follow-up calendar |
| "Let's talk" |
Strong interest |
Prepare thoroughly, respond fast |
Relationship Building Principles
The 10:1 Rule
For every pitch, provide 10 value-adds:
- Share their articles
- Send relevant tips (not for you)
- Make introductions
- Respond to their requests
- Engage meaningfully on social
Coverage Quality Hierarchy
| Level |
Description |
Value |
| Feature story |
In-depth coverage, multiple sources |
Highest |
| News mention |
Coverage of your announcement |
High |
| Expert quote |
Your exec quoted in trend story |
Medium-High |
| Product mention |
Brief mention in roundup/list |
Medium |
| Backlink only |
Link without context |
Low |
Anti-Patterns
- Spray and pray — Mass emailing the same pitch to 500 journalists
- Pitching your press release — "Please publish our press release" is not news
- Forgetting the journalist — They write for readers, not for your company
- Embargo abuse — Breaking embargoes burns bridges permanently
- Metrics theater — Counting clips instead of measuring impact
- Crisis silence — No comment is a comment (usually bad)
- One-and-done outreach — PR is relationships, not transactions
- Overvaluing Tier 1 — Niche coverage often converts better
1---2name: pr-specialist3description: Expert PR and media relations guidance for earned media, press coverage, and reputation building. Use when writing press releases, crafting media pitches, developing journalist relationships, planning embargo strategies, managing crisis communication, placing thought leadership, building analyst relations, submitting award applications, or measuring PR coverage. Use for media outreach, press kits, speaking opportunities, and earned media strategy.4---5
6# PR Specialist
7
8Expert public relations guidance for earned media strategy, media relations, and reputation building — from press releases to crisis communication.
9
10## Philosophy
11
12Great PR is earned, not bought:
13
141. **Build relationships before you need them** — Journalists remember who helped them, not who pitched them
152. **Newsworthy first, company second** — Lead with the story, not the press release
163. **Credibility compounds** — Every interaction builds or erodes your reputation
174. **Measure what matters** — Coverage quality beats clip counting
18
19## How This Skill Works
20
21When invoked, apply the guidelines in `rules/` organized by:
22
23- `media-*` — Media relations, journalist outreach, relationship building
24- `content-*` — Press releases, media pitches, press kits
25- `strategy-*` — Embargo strategies, exclusives, launch timing
26- `crisis-*` — Crisis communication, reputation management
27- `thought-*` — Thought leadership placement, bylines, speaking
28- `analyst-*` — Analyst relations and briefings
29- `awards-*` — Award submissions and recognition programs
30- `measurement-*` — Coverage tracking, share of voice, PR metrics
31
32## Core Frameworks
33
34### The Newsworthiness Test
35
36| Factor | Question | Weight |
37|--------|----------|--------|
38| **Timeliness** | Is it happening now? | High |
39| **Impact** | Who does this affect and how many? | High |
40| **Proximity** | Is it relevant to this audience? | Medium |
41| **Prominence** | Are notable people/companies involved? | Medium |
42| **Novelty** | Is this a first, biggest, or unexpected? | High |
43| **Conflict** | Does it challenge convention? | Medium |
44| **Human Interest** | Is there an emotional story? | Medium |
45
46### The PR Funnel
47
48```
49┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
50│ │
51│ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ │
52│ │ AWARENESS│───▶│ INTEREST │───▶│ COVERAGE │ │
53│ │ (Pitch) │ │ (Story) │ │ (Publish)│ │
54│ └──────────┘ └──────────┘ └──────────┘ │
55│ ▲ │ │
56│ │ ┌──────────┐ │ │
57│ └──────────│ AMPLIFY │◀─────────┘ │
58│ │ (Share) │ │
59│ └──────────┘ │
60│ │
61└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
62```
63
64### Media Tier Framework
65
66| Tier | Examples | Characteristics | Approach |
67|------|----------|-----------------|----------|
68| **Tier 1** | TechCrunch, WSJ, NYT | Highest reach, hardest to get | Exclusives, major news only |
69| **Tier 2** | VentureBeat, Forbes contributor | Strong reach, more accessible | Embargoes, regular pitching |
70| **Tier 3** | Industry publications, podcasts | Niche but influential | Consistent relationship building |
71| **Tier 4** | Blogs, newsletters, substacks | Targeted, often undervalued | Direct relationships, content |
72
73### Pitch Response Matrix
74
75| Response | Meaning | Next Action |
76|----------|---------|-------------|
77| **No response** | Wrong timing, topic, or journalist | Try different angle or wait |
78| **"Not for me"** | Wrong beat or outlet | Ask for referral |
79| **"Send more info"** | Interest, needs validation | Provide what's asked, quickly |
80| **"Not now, maybe later"** | Good relationship, wrong timing | Add to follow-up calendar |
81| **"Let's talk"** | Strong interest | Prepare thoroughly, respond fast |
82
83## Relationship Building Principles
84
85### The 10:1 Rule
86
87For every pitch, provide 10 value-adds:
88- Share their articles
89- Send relevant tips (not for you)
90- Make introductions
91- Respond to their requests
92- Engage meaningfully on social
93
94### Coverage Quality Hierarchy
95
96| Level | Description | Value |
97|-------|-------------|-------|
98| **Feature story** | In-depth coverage, multiple sources | Highest |
99| **News mention** | Coverage of your announcement | High |
100| **Expert quote** | Your exec quoted in trend story | Medium-High |
101| **Product mention** | Brief mention in roundup/list | Medium |
102| **Backlink only** | Link without context | Low |
103
104## Anti-Patterns
105
106- **Spray and pray** — Mass emailing the same pitch to 500 journalists
107- **Pitching your press release** — "Please publish our press release" is not news
108- **Forgetting the journalist** — They write for readers, not for your company
109- **Embargo abuse** — Breaking embargoes burns bridges permanently
110- **Metrics theater** — Counting clips instead of measuring impact
111- **Crisis silence** — No comment is a comment (usually bad)
112- **One-and-done outreach** — PR is relationships, not transactions
113- **Overvaluing Tier 1** — Niche coverage often converts better
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