What Journalists Actually Want
7 min
Most founders treat PR as a megaphone — a way to announce what they built. Journalists do not care what you built. They care about stories their readers will want to read. The fundamental shift in PR is from "I have news" to "I have a story my target outlet's audience will find compelling."
What makes something newsworthy
- Timeliness — Connects to something happening in the world right now — a trend, a regulation, a cultural moment.
- Conflict or tension — A problem being solved, an industry challenged, a conventional wisdom overturned.
- Human interest — A relatable protagonist (often the founder) with a genuine struggle and a journey.
- Data and proof — Concrete numbers: users, revenue growth, survey data. "We grew 300% in 90 days" is a story. "We're growing fast" is not.
- Novelty — Something genuinely new — a new approach, a new market, a new outcome. Not a variation of what already exists.
The journalist's job
Journalists are measured on pageviews, shares, and reader engagement. Every story pitch they receive is evaluated through that lens: "Will my readers click this? Will they share it? Will this help my metrics?" Your pitch needs to answer those questions before they even ask.
Think like an editor, not a marketer
A marketer asks: "How do I get people to notice my product?" An editor asks: "Is this interesting enough for my audience to read?" Before pitching, read the outlet and ask: does this story fit here? Would I read this if I had no stake in it?
Tier your targets
- Tier 1 — national / major tech press — TechCrunch, Forbes, WSJ. Hardest to get. Best for funding announcements, major milestones.
- Tier 2 — trade and vertical press — Industry-specific publications. Easier to get, more targeted audience. Often more valuable for B2B.
- Tier 3 — local press and niche newsletters — Easiest to get. Great for building a clip file, practicing your pitch, and getting momentum.
Lead with the story, not the product — journalists want what their readers want Newsworthiness: timeliness, conflict, human interest, data, novelty Start with tier 3 (local, niche) to build clips before targeting tier 1 Read the outlet before pitching — would their readers actually care?