ur-grue Source Pitch Email Writer
What This Skill Does
Drafts a professional, personalised pitch email to a potential interviewee or expert source, clearly explaining why you are reaching out, what the story is about, and what you are asking them to do.
When To Use This Skill
- You have identified a source you want to interview and need to make first contact
- You are cold-emailing someone with no existing relationship — the email must do all the persuasion work
- You have a tight turnaround and need a polished email without spending 30 minutes drafting it
- You are pitching a sensitive or contested story and need the framing to be careful and accurate
- You need to adapt the same core pitch across several different types of sources (academic, government official, eyewitness, industry expert)
What You Need To Provide
Required:
- Your name and the publication or programme you represent
- The story topic in one or two sentences — what it is about and why it is timely
- What you are asking the source to do (on-the-record interview, background briefing, written response, etc.)
- Why this specific person is relevant to the story (their expertise, role, direct connection to events)
- Your deadline or preferred interview window
Optional:
- The angle or framing you are pursuing (helps the source decide whether they agree to participate)
- Any prior coverage of this source or their work that you can reference to show you have done your research
- Whether the interview would be recorded, and for what format (print, broadcast, podcast, online)
- A brief note on confidentiality or anonymity options, if relevant to the story
How the Assistant Approaches This
- Opens with a single sentence that names you, your outlet, and the story — no wasted words before the source knows why they are being contacted
- States concisely what the story is about and why it is being reported now, giving the source enough context to judge whether to participate
- Explains specifically why this source was chosen — references their expertise, role, or connection to the story without flattery or vagueness
- Makes a clear, single ask: what you want, in what format, by when
- Closes with a low-friction next step (a direct reply, a link to book a call, or a phone number), keeping the invitation open without pressure
Output Format
Single email, 150–250 words. Subject line included. Three to four short paragraphs. Tone: professional, direct, and respectful — confident without being aggressive. No bullet points in the body. No jargon. Written in the first person from the journalist's perspective. Suitable for copying directly into an email client.
Quality Criteria
- Subject line is specific enough that the source understands what the email is about before opening it
- The story topic is explained clearly in one or two sentences — no assumed knowledge
- The reason this specific source was contacted is explicit, not generic ("as an expert in your field")
- The ask is unambiguous: the source knows exactly what is being requested and by when
- Tone does not overpromise coverage or prejudge the story's conclusions
- Email is completable without any placeholder text remaining
Example
Input
Reporter: Daniela Ferreira, freelance journalist Publication: Contributing to a long-form feature for a monthly current affairs magazine Story: The growing use of AI-assisted sentencing tools in criminal courts across several European countries, and the legal challenges being mounted against them Source to contact: A legal academic who has published peer-reviewed research on algorithmic accountability in judicial systems and has given expert testimony in related cases Ask: On-the-record interview, 30–45 minutes, by video call Deadline: Responses needed within the next ten days; feature publishes in six weeks Format: Print/online feature article
Output
Subject: Interview request — AI sentencing tools in European courts / Daniela Ferreira
Dear Dr. Okonkwo,
My name is Daniela Ferreira and I am a freelance journalist currently writing a long-form feature on the adoption of AI-assisted sentencing tools in European criminal courts, and the legal challenges being brought against them. The piece will be published in Meridian, a monthly current affairs magazine with a European readership of around 80,000.
Your research on algorithmic accountability in judicial decision-making — particularly your 2023 paper on transparency requirements in automated risk assessment — is directly relevant to what I am reporting. I would very much like to speak with you as an expert source for the feature.
I am hoping to arrange a 30–45 minute video call at a time that suits you, ideally within the next ten days. The interview would be on the record and attributed by name and affiliation, unless you have a preference to discuss specific aspects on background.
If you are open to speaking, please reply to this email or suggest a time via the scheduling link below. I am happy to send over a short list of likely questions in advance if that would be useful.
Many thanks for your time and consideration.
Daniela Ferreira [email] · [phone] · [scheduling link]
Known Limitations
- The assistant does not know the source's actual published work or public statements, so any reference to specific research or quotes must be provided by the journalist and verified before sending
- The skill produces a single polished draft; for particularly sensitive stories (legal proceedings, ongoing investigations, hostile sources), the journalist should review framing carefully before sending
- Email norms vary by country and sector — a pitch appropriate for an academic may need adjusting in tone for a government spokesperson or corporate communications team