Media Pitch Skill

Media Pitch Skill

Writes media pitches that journalists actually respond to — built around the story angle, not the company's desire for coverage. Most pitches fail because they are press releases in an email. Good pitches are a human proposing a story to another human.

Required Inputs

Ask the user for these if not provided:

• The story (what is the actual news or interesting angle?)
• Target publication or journalist (who are you pitching to and what do they cover?)
• Company or organisation (who is behind this?)
• Key proof point (data, customer story, or exclusive that makes this credible)
• Why now (why is this timely?)
• What you are offering (interview / exclusive data / embargoed information / spokespeople)

Output Structure

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Pitch: [Target journalist / outlet]

Subject line: [Under 10 words. The story angle, not the company name. Specific, not "Exciting news from [Company]"]

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Hi [First name],

[Opening sentence — one hook that makes them want to read the next line. Reference their recent work if genuinely relevant: "I read your piece on X last week, which is why I thought you'd be interested in this."]

[Paragraph 1 — The story in 2–3 sentences. Lead with why the reader of [publication] would care. Not what the company does. The news angle, with the most interesting fact first.]

[Paragraph 2 — Why this is a story now. One data point, trend, or timely hook. Be specific: "In the last 6 months, X has increased by Y, according to [source]." Generic claims about "growing trends" are ignored.]

[Paragraph 3 — What you are offering. Interview with [specific person + their relevant credential]. Exclusive data / first look. Access to [specific thing]. One clear offering.]

[Brief company context — 1 sentence maximum. Journalists don't need your history; they need to know you're credible.]

Happy to send more details, connect you with [spokesperson], or share [specific exclusive asset] under embargo.

[Name] [Title, Company] [Mobile — journalists work on deadline and text faster than email]

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Pitch Rules

• Subject line is the pitch — if it doesn't earn a click, nothing else matters
• The story angle is not "Company launches product" — it is what that product reveals about the world
• One pitch, one journalist — mass BCC pitches are recognisable and ignored
• Follow up once, after 3–5 business days, with new information (not "just checking in")
• If offering an exclusive, name it explicitly and set a response deadline

Angle Development Framework

If the user doesn't have a strong angle, help them find one:

Angle type	Example	Works for
Data reveal	"Our research of 10,000 users shows X"	Survey findings, product insights
Trend + proof	"This is happening and here is evidence"	Market trends, behaviour change
Contrarian	"Everyone thinks X but actually Y"	Counter-intuitive findings
Human story	"This person's experience illustrates X"	Customer stories, case studies
Milestone	"First / fastest / largest in [category]"	Launches, records

Quality Checks

• Subject line is the story angle (under 10 words, no company name)
• Opening doesn't start with "I'm reaching out" or "I hope this email finds you well"
• The story angle is clear in the first two sentences
• A specific exclusive or offer is named
• Journalist's name is used (not "Hi there")
• Mobile number included for deadline follow-up

Anti-Patterns

• Do not write a pitch that leads with the company's history or description — the story angle must come first, not who the company is
• Do not use vague data points ("significant growth", "thousands of users") — every statistic must be specific and verifiable
• Do not send the same pitch to multiple journalists in a BCC — pitches must be individually tailored to each journalist's beat and recent work
• Do not offer an exclusive without setting a response deadline — an open-ended exclusive invitation is ignored or used to delay indefinitely
• Do not follow up with "just checking in" — a follow-up must contain new information or a fresh angle, otherwise it is noise

Example Trigger Phrases

• "Write a media pitch for [story or announcement]"
• "Draft a journalist outreach email for [topic]"
• "Help me pitch [story] to [type of journalist or outlet]"
• "What is a good angle for a media pitch about [topic]?"