What Journalists Actually Want to Write About (And How to Give It to Them)
People often think that their business isn't newsworthy.
A plumber thinks they're boring. An accountant thinks nobody cares about taxes. A mortgage broker thinks there's already too much competition in coverage.
But when a journalist reads their pitch and deletes it, it’s not because their business is boring - it’s because they're telling the journalist about themselves instead of about the journalist’s readers.
Journalists don't care about your business. They care about stories their readers care about.
The difference between a story they ignore and a story they cover isn't whether your business is interesting. It's whether you've figured out why their readers should care.
What Journalists Actually Care About
When a journalist reads a pitch, they're asking four quick questions. And if your pitch answers yes to all four, you've got their attention.
Audience Impact: Will my readers actually care?
This is the first filter. A journalist isn't asking, "Is this impressive?" They're asking, "Does this solve a problem my readers have or help them understand something that affects them?"
When a mortgage broker pitches "first-time buyers surge in Q1," a journalist thinks: "Yes, my readers are house hunting right now. They need to know this."
When they pitch "We help people get mortgages," a journalist thinks: "Everyone already knows that mortgages exist”, and they move on.
Your story has audience impact when readers see themselves in it. When they think, "This affects me" or "I need to know this."
Clarity: Can I explain this in thirty seconds?
Journalists work to deadlines and receive dozens of emails a day. They need to understand your story quickly, without needing to ask questions or dig into jargon.
If an insurance company pitches "Aggregate risk assessment reveals geographic variance in claim distribution." A journalist reads that and has to stop.
What is this? What does it mean?
If they pitch "These postcodes have the highest theft rates." A journalist understands it immediately.
Your story has clarity when a journalist can explain it to their editor in one sentence, and their editor gets it instantly.
Credibility: Can I trust it and verify it?
Journalists need to stand behind what they publish. They need to know that the story is real, can be fact-checked, and they won’t look foolish for publishing.
When you pitch research backed by three years of data, a journalist thinks: "I can verify this. I can cite the source. This is solid." When you pitch something based on your gut feeling, they think: "I can't put my name on this."
Your story has credibility when a journalist can point to evidence. Numbers they can check. Methods they can verify. Expert perspective that's earned with time and experience.
Timeliness: Is this relevant right now?
Journalists have editorial calendars and think about seasons and moments. They ask: Is this what people care about this week? This month? This season?
A fitness coach pitches fitness tips in January when New Year's resolutions are top of mind. Journalists care. That same coach pitches fitness tips in July. Journalists don't need it.
A tax accountant pitches a tax deadline strategy in March when taxes matter. Journalists want it. But that accountant pitches the same thing in August, nobody's thinking about taxes then.
Your story has timeliness when it lands at the moment readers actually care about it.
What Journalists Don't Want
Here's what most pitches lead with, and here's why they fail.
Company milestones. "We've been in business for ten years." Unless your milestone reveals something about your industry that readers should know, it's just business.
A company celebrating ten years isn't news.
Product launches. "We're excited to announce our new service." Journalists aren't writing product reviews for you. They're looking for stories that matter to their readers.
A product launch isn't a story; it's an announcement.
Growth or success stories. "Our revenue grew by forty per cent this year." Unless that growth reveals a trend affecting your industry that readers should understand, it's not newsworthy.
You growing isn't news to readers who don't use your service.
Awards or recognition. "We won Best Company in our category." Unless you won an award from a major, well-known publication that readers recognise, most journalists see awards as self-promotion.
Self-promotion dressed as insight. "We're the best at what we do." That's not insight; that's marketing. A journalist can smell it a mile away.
How to Reframe Your Story: Four Angles That Work
Your business has stories. You're just looking in the wrong place. Here are four ways to find them.
The Data Angle: Research That Reveals Something Readers Care About
This angle works because journalists can verify the data, and readers find it useful.
A home insurance company doesn't pitch "We're excited to share our insurance research." They pitch "The postcodes with the highest burglary rates."
Homeowners want to know if they're safe. Journalists can fact-check the data.
A personal finance app doesn't pitch "Download our app." They pitch "Where people actually waste money and the small changes that save thousands."
If that's based on real user data, a journalist thinks: "My readers need to know this."
Most pitches fail because people lead with the company. "We're an insurance company, and we have research".
The Trend Angle: Something Changing That Affects Your Readers
Trends work because they're timely and affect readers right now.
A real estate agent doesn't pitch "We sell homes." They pitch "Why the housing market is shifting in this area and what it means for buyers." Market changes affect readers.
A tax accountant doesn't pitch "We do taxes." They pitch "Tax deadline is eight weeks away: What most people do wrong." A journalist thinks: "My readers need this. It's time-sensitive."
Most pitches miss on timing, and a trend angle only works if it's relevant right now.
The Expert Insight Angle: What You See That Most People Don't Know
Insight works because it's a genuine perspective nobody else has.
A personal trainer doesn't pitch "Our fitness program is the best." They pitch "Why people fail at fitness goals and what actually works, based on ten years of working with clients."
A mechanic doesn't pitch "We fix cars." They pitch "What care mechanics recommend, and why." That's an inside perspective readers will find useful.
Most pitches try to use expertise to sell. "Here's why you should hire us." Insight doesn't sell the business; it helps the reader.
The Timing or Urgency Angle: When This Matters Most to Readers
Timing works because journalists have editorial calendars, and your story fits their schedule.
A mortgage broker doesn't pitch "We help people get mortgages." They pitch "First-time buyer surge in Q1: Here's what lenders are seeing."
A wedding planner doesn't pitch "We plan beautiful weddings." They pitch "Engagement season is here: The biggest mistakes couples make when planning."
A timing angle only works if you pitch it when readers actually care.
You Have Stories. You're Just Framing Them Wrong
A plumbing company isn't newsworthy. But "Why your plumbing fails in winter and how to prevent it" is.
An accountant isn't newsworthy. But "How new tax rules affect small business owners" is.
A fitness trainer isn't newsworthy. But "Why people fail at New Year fitness goals" is.
These aren't about your business. They're about reader problems, the information they need, and changes that affect them.
Once you see this distinction, you start seeing stories everywhere.
The data you have becomes a story. The trends you're seeing become news. The insight you've gathered becomes valuable. The seasonal moments become opportunities.
Your business has stories. You just need to see them like a journalists does.
The next step is figuring out which story angle fits your business and how to validate it before you pitch.
Check out the Digital PR Toolbox for a framework to identify newsworthy stories in your business, plus examples of how others have found their angles.
