Is your story press-worthy? How to tell if a journalist will want it
You've got something to say. You know your work matters. But the minute you think about pitching the press, the second-guessing starts. Is this news? Would anyone care? Am I kidding myself?
Let's cut through the noise.
The quick answer: a story is press-worthy when it gives a journalist's readers something helpful, timely or thought-provoking. That usually means a fresh angle on something people are already thinking about, backed by your expertise, experience or data. A general business update, a story that repeats what's already out there or a pitch that reads like an advert won't get picked up. How polished or dramatic your story sounds matters far less than whether it's relevant right now.
What makes a story newsworthy?
It gives the reader something they didn't have before.
Journalists are always thinking about their readers. So the question isn't "is this interesting to me?" It's "would a stranger stop scrolling for this?"
Press-worthy stories tend to have:
A timely angle. It connects to something people are already thinking or talking about.
A fresh perspective. It helps people see a topic differently, or tells them something new.
Something to back it up. Your expertise, your experience or your own numbers.
Original data is especially useful. Journalists value original research and access to experts more than almost anything a PR person can send them (Cision, State of the Media 2026).
And the bit I listen for on every call is the "they did what?" moment. The detail that makes a journalist sit up. It's often something you'd wave off as nothing.
What don't journalists want?
Anything that's mostly about you, and not much about their readers.
The three I see most often:
A general business update. "We've launched a new product" or "we've moved to a bigger office" is exciting for you. For a journalist, it's not a story yet, unless there's something bigger behind it.
A "me too" moment. If the same story has already run everywhere, adding your name to it won't get you picked up. Unless you've got a different take, it's old news.
A feature that reads like an advert. If your pitch is mainly about how good your product is, it'll be treated as a sales email. Journalists write for readers, not for brands.
None of these mean your business isn't press-worthy. They usually mean the story hasn't been found yet. The launch might not be the story, but why you made it, or what you learned from your customers along the way, could be.
How do you make your story timely?
Connect it to something already happening.
Journalists want stories that matter now. That might be a trend, a news story, a season or a date in the calendar. If you can link what you know to what people are already talking about, you give a journalist a reason to run it this week instead of someday.
One of my favourite examples started with a bad review. Kay, from Burrow Escape in Lincolnshire, posted about her first ever bad review, and the person complaining had left their ChatGPT prompt in. Over the next year, I kept spotting posts just like it. So I saved them, and asked a BBC radio producer: is ChatGPT fuelling complaints culture?
She said yes within two hours. Four local businesses ended up telling their stories on air, and I went into the studio as the expert.
Nobody's business had changed. The timing made it news.
Where are the press-worthy stories in your business?
Usually somewhere you see every day.
You're probably sitting on ideas that could land. You're just too close to see them. Ask yourself:
What questions do clients keep asking you?
What frustrations or myths in your industry need challenging?
What's changing in your field that people should understand?
What do your numbers show that nobody else knows?
Those answers are your way in.
For GoDaddy, the story was in a spreadsheet. Domain sales kept peaking on Friday nights, and a survey showed why: people come up with business ideas in the pub. That one set of data ran in The Telegraph, The Sun, the Daily Mirror and Startups.
My post on the 5 places your next pitch idea is hiding goes into this in more detail.
How do you know if your story has legs?
Run it through a few quick questions before you pitch.
Would a stranger care? If the only people who'd be interested already know you, it's not a press story yet.
Why now? If you can't say why it matters this week or this month, look for a timely hook.
Can you back it up? A number, an example or your own experience makes it believable.
Is it new? If you've seen the same story everywhere, find the angle nobody's taken.
Who would run it? If you can name the publication and the journalist, you're nearly there.
If you've got good answers to most of these, you're ready to pitch. It doesn't need to be perfect. It needs to be relevant.
And if you're sitting on knowledge that could help other people, you've almost certainly got a story. The trick is packaging it as one that matters now.
How do I get my business featured in the news?
Give a journalist something timely and send it to the right person.
News works fast, so news stories usually need one of these:
new data, from a survey or your own numbers
a strong opinion on something that's already in the news
a story with a "they did what?" moment
Find the journalist who covers your topic, and send them a short pitch: a subject line that tells the story, a few lines on why it matters now, and what you can offer, like an interview or photos.
Reply quickly to journalist requests, avoid pitching on a Friday, and if you don't hear back, follow up once after about three days.
Local news is a good place to start. It's often easier to land, and it's where bigger stories get picked up.
Questions people ask
What makes a story newsworthy?
A newsworthy story gives readers something helpful, timely or thought-provoking. It usually has a fresh angle on something people are already thinking about, and it's backed by expertise, experience or data. Stories that are new, relevant now and specific to a journalist's readers are the most likely to be picked up.
Is a product launch newsworthy?
Usually not on its own. A launch becomes newsworthy when there's a bigger story behind it, such as a trend it responds to, a problem it solves for lots of people, surprising data or an unusual founder story.
How do I make my story more newsworthy?
Connect it to something already happening, such as a trend, a news story or a seasonal moment. Add evidence, like your own data or real examples, and shape it for the readers of one specific publication.
How do I get my business featured in the news?
Find a timely angle, such as new data or a strong opinion on current news. Then send a short pitch to the journalist who covers your topic. Reply quickly to journalist requests and follow up once after about three days if you don't hear back.
Do I need a press release to get in the news?
No. Most coverage starts with a short email pitch to the right journalist. Press releases suit some announcements, but a clear, timely pitch usually works better.
Ready to start pitching?
If you'd like step-by-step help, my Ultimate PR Starter Kit has three press pitch formulas, one for each kind of story you're most likely to have, with real examples and templates.
See the starter kit.
Or if you'd rather someone found the stories for you, that's what the Debrief is for. Book a free 20-minute call and we'll see if it's a fit.
Book a call.
Becky here, running on flat whites and a non-negotiable 3pm Diet Coke. I'm Becky Newmarch, a PR consultant for founders and brands in the UK. I find the stories hiding in your business and get them to the journalists who'll run them.
Comments