Story Pitch Skill

Editors kill most pitches in ten seconds because they can't find the story — just a topic. A topic is "AI in schools." A story is "the district that banned AI, then quietly reversed after test scores dropped." This skill sharpens a topic into an angle an editor can say yes to, and shows you can actually report it.

Working from a brief

Given the topic or reporting lead, write the full pitch — find the specific angle and the "why now," and propose the reporting. If the idea is still a topic, say so and offer 2–3 angle options.

Required Inputs

Ask for (if not provided, else infer and label):

• The story idea / lead and the publication (or type) you're pitching
• Why now — the news peg or timeliness
• Your access — sources, documents, expertise, or reporting already done

Output Format

The angle (one line)

The specific story, not the topic — the tension, the turn, or the character at its center.

Pitch (the query)

3–4 tight paragraphs:

1. The hook — the opening that would open the piece.
2. The angle & stakes — what the story reveals and why readers should care.
3. Why now — the peg that makes it timely.
4. The reporting plan — sources you'll talk to, documents, access, and roughly how you'll structure it.

Fit

Proposed format (news, feature, investigation, Q&A), rough length, and section — matched to the outlet. A line on why you (access, expertise, track record).

Follow-up

A one-line note on timing and how you'll follow up if you don't hear back.

Quality Checks

• ] It's an angle, not a topic — a specific story an editor can picture
• ] "Why now" is explicit
• ] The reporting plan names real sources/access, showing it's doable
• ] Format, length, and section fit the target outlet
• ] The hook could actually open the published piece
• ] It's tight — an editor gets it in under a minute

Anti-Patterns

• Pitching a topic ("something about housing") with no angle
• No news peg or reason it's timely
• All idea, no reporting plan (an editor can't tell if you can deliver)
• Ignoring the outlet's format, audience, and length
• Burying the story under throat-clearing before the hook