How to Find and Pitch Journalists for Your Press Release

Here's the secret most businesses miss: journalists rarely cover a story because of a press release alone. They cover it because someone sent them a smart, relevant pitch.

The release is your fact sheet. The pitch is your handshake.

Step 1: Find the right journalists

Not "the media." Specific people.

Read what they write. Go to the Calgary Herald, CBC Calgary, LiveWire Calgary, Avenue Calgary, CTV and Global's Calgary sites, plus trade publications in your industry. Find stories similar to yours. Note who wrote them.

Check their beat. Most reporters have a focus — business, tech, health, food, real estate, energy, community. Their bio or recent articles will tell you.

Find their contact info. Many list emails on author pages or social profiles. Newsrooms often have a general news tip email too.

Track it. Put names, outlets, beats, emails and a link to a relevant recent story in a spreadsheet. Congratulations, you're building a media list. Full guide here: How to Create a Media List for Your Press Release.

Step 2: Write the pitch

A good pitch is short — think five to eight sentences. Here's the structure:

Subject line: Clear and specific. Not "Press Release." Try: "Calgary clinic offering free dental days for newcomers — Nov 15"

Opening: Personal and relevant. Show you know their work.

The news: One or two sentences. Why it matters to their readers.

The offer: Interview, photos, site visit, data, exclusive.

The release: Pasted below your signature. Never as an attachment.

Sample pitch

Hi Sam,

I liked your piece last month on rising dental costs for Calgary families.

On November 15, Riverside Family Dental is offering free cleanings and checkups for newly arrived families, with interpreters in four languages. The owner, Dr. Amara Okafor, arrived in Calgary as a newcomer herself in 2012.

She's available for an interview this week, and you're welcome to film on the day. Full release below.

Thanks, [Name, phone]

Notice what it doesn't do: no flattery overload, no "exciting," no attachment.

Step 3: Time it right

Send pitches when reporters are planning, not when they're on deadline. Mid-morning on weekdays is a common sweet spot. More on that in What's the Best Day and Time to Send a Press Release?

Step 4: Follow up — once

If you don't hear back after three or four business days, send one short follow-up. Add something new if you can — a fresh detail, a photo opportunity, a new date. Then let it go. Silence is an answer, and pushing harder burns the relationship.

Step 5: Make their job easy

When a journalist says yes:

Respond fast
Have your spokesperson ready
Send photos and facts promptly
Respect their editorial independence (no asking to review the story)
Say thank you after it runs, and share it

Why personal pitches win

Journalists can tell instantly whether an email was written for them or BCC'd to 400 people. Mass blasts are part of why so many releases get ignored. We go deeper on what reporters actually do with releases in Do Journalists Actually Read Press Releases?

Build the relationship long term

The best coverage comes from relationships. Follow reporters, share their work, send them useful tips even when they're not about you. Over time, you become a trusted source rather than a stranger asking for a favour. That's also how you get your news shared, not just covered: How to Write a Press Release That Journalists Will Share.

No time to build a media list and pitch personally? That's exactly what Blastily does. Start your Blast at blastily.com.