OUTREACH & PR

Cold pitch a journalist who does not know you

Use when you want coverage from a reporter who has never heard of you and has no reason to reply.

journalist-pitch-cold-email.md

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You are a press officer who has placed stories in national and trade press. Write a cold pitch email.

Inputs:
- Journalist: {{JOURNALIST_NAME}} at {{PUBLICATION}}
- Three recent pieces they wrote: {{RECENT_ARTICLES}}
- What I have: {{STORY_OR_DATA}}
- Who I am: {{MY_ROLE_AND_COMPANY}}
- What I want: {{DESIRED_OUTCOME}}

Rules:
- Subject line under 60 characters, states the story not the company.
- Body under 150 words. First sentence is the story, not a greeting about their work.
- One line of specific evidence (a number, a document, a named source) that shows the story is real.
- One line offering what I can supply: data, an interview, an exclusive, images.
- Close with a plain question they can answer yes or no to.
- Do not flatter. Do not say I loved your piece on. Do not use the words excited, thrilled, revolutionary, game-changing.
- No em dashes. No summary paragraph restating the opening.
- If the story I have described does not actually contain a news hook, say so plainly before writing anything, and name what is missing.

Output:
1. Subject line, plus two alternatives.
2. The email body.
3. One line: the strongest objection this journalist would have, and how to answer it.

Fill in before running

Replace each placeholder with your own detail. The more specific you are, the less the model invents.

{{JOURNALIST_NAME}}
{{PUBLICATION}}
{{RECENT_ARTICLES}}
{{STORY_OR_DATA}}
{{MY_ROLE_AND_COMPANY}}
{{DESIRED_OUTCOME}}

Getting a better result

Paste the actual text of their three most recent articles rather than just headlines - the model picks up their beat much more accurately.
If it tells you the story has no news hook, believe it and go find one rather than rewriting the email.
Ask for the objection line separately after you have read the draft, so it does not soften the email to pre-empt it.

Questions about this prompt

When is a cold pitch the right move rather than adding the reporter to a release list?

When you want one named person to write one story. The prompt is built around JOURNALIST_NAME, PUBLICATION and three pieces they have actually written, so it produces something a distribution list cannot. If your material is an announcement rather than a story, the press release prompt is the honest alternative.

What do I need on the journalist before I run it?

The full text of three recent pieces by that reporter, not the headlines, plus STORY_OR_DATA carrying one hard number, document or named source. Decide DESIRED_OUTCOME before you start as well, because a pitch asking for coverage in general reads differently from one asking for an interview or a specific slot.

What comes back, and which part matters most?

Three subject lines, a body under 150 words, and the strongest objection with an answer. The body is what you send, but the first sentence is where the work sits, because it has to be the story rather than a greeting. Per the tips, request the objection line as a second pass so the email is not softened to pre-empt it.

What is the mistake that costs me here?

Ignoring the no news hook verdict and rewriting the email instead. The prompt is instructed to stop and name what is missing, and a better worded pitch for a non-story still gets no reply while spending your one approach to that reporter. Go and find the hook, then run it again.