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

Pitch: Target journalist / outlet]

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

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]

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]?"