How to write a news response pitch

Today I want to talk about another great tactic for finding quick coverage and that is the news response pitch. It’s a bit different to responding to a journo request (when the journalist puts a call out for a particular expert) but offers similar benefits.

But first…

What do I even mean by a ‘news response pitch’?

Well, I’m glad you asked that. What I mean is this. When there’s a big piece of news within your industry, you reach out to a journalist with a fresh take on that piece of news. For example, let’s say you’re a therapist who specialises in working with mothers and the new series of a popular TV show comes out with a central storyline surrounding post-partum depression. You’ve seen it covered in the news but you have more to add to the conversation. That’s what a news response pitch is.

And what makes them so great?

Firstly, it’s much quicker to fire off this kind of pitch because, typically, you’re responding to something in the current news cycle so speed really is of the essence. It’s also great because you could end up with a great piece of coverage pretty quickly.

Who should you send them to?

These ones are better sent to in house staff at newspapers or magazines with a strong online presence, as well as digital magazines - basically anywhere that needs a high volume of stories each day. You want to send them to the people who work on staff (rather than freelancers) because they are the ones in need of lots of ideas to share with their editors.

So… how do you write a news response pitch?

I’ll tell you right now!

Your email should be really brief and include 5 key ingredients:

1. An indication of the popular story- this helps show the journalist that there’s still a huge appetite for this story. Hyperlink any good evidence if you can.

2. What the general conversation around it / opinion has been so far and what you have to say that offers a fresh take or different perspective - this bit is key. There’s no point in pitching an opinion or take that has already been covered extensively - the journalist will be looking to add to the conversation rather than repeat what’s already been said.

3. What qualifies you to speak on the topic

4. Why you’re contacting that particular journalist

5. Clear info on how and where to contact you (social media links, your website and email address).

Here’s an example template

Hi XYZ,

I’ve seen this week that everyone’s been talking about ___ with no signs of the conversation slowing down. I’ve noticed that, so far, the general consensus has been ___, but I haven’t seen anyone talking about ___, particularly the following:

1. ___

2. ___

3. ___

I’m a qualified ___ with expertise on ___ and would love to offer commentary on this if you’re interested?

I’ve reached out to you specifically because I read your piece on ___ and understand that you and your audience are passionate about ___.

Let me know if you’d like further information,

Best wishes,

___

CONTACT INFO

——

And that’s it! Let me know if you try it and how you get on!