Why (and how) we pitch exclusives

Every iota of feedback I’ve received from journalists in the 20-plus years I’ve been interacting with them indicates that pitching news as exclusive is the best way to capture their interest. 

This makes sense. A journalist’s job boils down to reporting newsworthy information that nobody else has—which is why the key step in our process for bringing news to market through the Espresso offering is to pitch and secure exclusives with the highest-value outlet that will take it.

First, it’s worth noting what an exclusive is. It means, “I’ll give you this piece of news first, and we’ll only release the announcement broadly after your coverage runs.” It allows a reporter to scoop everyone else on their beat. It’s not an embargo, which journalists don’t like.

It’s also worth noting that this process was developed by talking to actual journalists from big-name outlets about what they want and expect from PR contacts now, in today’s hyper-competitive media environment.

The bottom line: Giving the news to one reporter first is the most reliable way to create a compelling incentive for them to commit to coverage. It is a transaction, and on the PR side, we don’t need pre-existing relationships with journalists if we’re going around dangling exclusives in front of them. The process works even when we’re pitching media we’ve never encountered. 

The process we use to bring news to market isn’t complex, but it is well-calibrated, borne from decades of handling news for all kinds of clients in all kinds of situations. There’s a particular way an exclusive offer needs to be framed, and there are norms to follow in order to get the most out of the process. That’s why the news-making part of PR and comms can’t be automated entirely.

For more information on how emerging companies can use this process to benefit, click here.