If you want reporters to think of you as a go-to source—and even more, if you want them to be willing to consider your story pitches —you need a deliberate, ongoing approach to relationships.
In part two of this three-part series, Rockford Gray Managing Partner Jennifer Miller and Senior Advisor Alton Dillard II discuss the changing media landscape, how this affects those who pitch media stories and strategies you can take to tell your story.
Here are practical ways to do that in today’s shifting media landscape.
Meet reporters where they are
If you’re only emailing press releases and leaving voicemails, you’re missing where a lot of the work now happens.
Many reporters are essentially mobile newsrooms. They are more reachable by text, DM, and social media than by office phone.
A few tactics that work in this environment:
- Monitor local media lists on X (Twitter) and other platforms: Dillard keeps a Colorado media list on X Pro so he can see when reporters announce new jobs, beat changes or moves into or out of the market.
- Welcome new reporters to town: When Dillard sees that a reporter is joining a station or publication in Colorado, he sends a quick note: “Welcome to the market—looking forward to working with you when you land.” It’s simple, human, and memorable. More than once, a reporter has later said, “You were the first person who reached out when I announced my move.”
- Use text and DM thoughtfully. For reporters you already know, a short text or DM can be more effective than another email that gets lost in the pile—especially for quick updates or corrections.
The goal is not to bombard the reporter on every channel. It’s to understand where that reporter is actually reachable and show up there in a respectful, value-added way.
Don’t only show up when you need something
If your name only appears in the reporter’s inbox when you have a pitch, you’ll never move past “transactional contact” status.
A few small practices go a long way:
- Show up when they need you: Reporters remember who comes through in a pinch. When a reporter contacts you for a story, be responsive.
- Thank the reporter for the fair coverage: After a story runs, send a quick “Thanks for the coverage” note. If they handled a sensitive interview with real compassion—like a grieving parent or a victim—say so.
- Send appreciation up the chain: If you see especially strong reporting, let their editor, producer or supervising reporter know. Positive feedback is rare, and it stands out.
- Check in, when you don’t have an agenda: Once in a while, send a short note that isn’t a pitch: “Saw your recent series on X—really smart work,” or even, “How are you holding up in this news cycle?” Reporters are people first, and most are operating under a lot of strain.
Over time, this is how you move from “just another PR person” to “someone I actually trust and don’t mind hearing from,” says Dillard.
Use supervisory reporters as your “air traffic control.”
In many newsrooms, especially TV, there are now senior reporters who have semi-formal leadership roles: they mentor younger reporters, help shape coverage and sometimes manage others’ work.
If you have a complex story, these more experienced reporters can be a real asset.
“I’ve had success pitching a story to a veteran reporter or interim news director and then letting them assign it to the right person,” says Dillard. “For example, I recently approached a veteran reporter with a story that ultimately fit best under a “senior issues” beat. He connected me to the reporter who covers seniors and then helped shepherd the piece through the newsroom.”
Dillard says to engage your sources and the veteran reporters as “air traffic controllers.” When you’ve earned their trust, they will often help route your story to the right runway.
Rebuild quickly when reporters move on
Given today’s turnover, you should assume that some of your best media relationships will leave—sometimes with little notice.
When Jennifer was a new reporter in CBS4’s Denver Mountain Bureau, she took a few days to get acclimated and set up meetings with key leaders and businesses. The most effective sources came to those meetings with story ideas, background information, and PR teams she could meet face to face. It made a big impression.
On her first day on the air, the lead story was a breaking news event on her beat. Jennifer was able to cover the issue and do several live shots with confidence because of the background knowledge she gained from working with the PR team before the breaking news event occurred.
In the final installment, Alton and Jennifer break down exactly how to craft a pitch reporters will actually read Read part three here.