The Relationship between Journalism and Digital PR

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Have you ever wondered how journalists receive a steady stream of news beyond their own reporting? How do journalists keep up with the latest data sets and research? A lot of the time, there is a team of Digital PR (DPR) professionals working behind the scenes to send journalists press releases packed with stories, data and resources; all the essential elements that shape the news. 

Having studied journalism at university and worked in both journalism and PR internships, I’ve seen firsthand how these two industries interact and rely on one another. 

In the age of the internet and social media, where citizen journalists are everywhere, journalists are relying more than ever on Digital PR professionals to cut through the noise and provide accurate, timely, and impactful news. 

In this blog, I will break down the relationship between journalists and Digital PR professionals, and why embracing this relationship is key in delivering engaging and well-informed news. 

Digital PR in the News Cycle

The easiest way a brand can enter the newscycle is through pitching to journalists, usually via email. Journalists receive hundreds of pitches a day; therefore, when DPRs pitch to a journalist, the chances that it will be opened are quite low. However, understanding what appeals to the rapid news cycle can help a pitch stand out and fit seamlessly into a journalist’s hectic reporting schedule. There are multiple ways a Digital PR pitch can align with the news cycle. 

• Data-driven content: As discussed in our previous blog post, incorporating data in a story, including internal data, government databases or FOI requests, can provide a comprehensive and original angle that appeals to journalists. A great example of this is the Muval 2025 Index, which used over 400,000 internal relocation records and transformed them into a story that connected migration trends to Australia’s cost of living, housing and economy. 
• Expert commentary: Incorporating expert commentary is a powerful way to enter the newscycle. Providing journalists with credible and relevant commentary not only makes their job easier but also builds trust, authority, and helps a pitch stand out in a crowded inbox.
• Case studies: Journalists like to use case studies to humanise a story and make it relatable to their readership. Similar to expert commentary, a case study adds credibility, context, and shows that the story is relevant to the real world.
• Newsjacking: This involves monitoring trending stories and inserting a brand into the conversation to gain coverage and visibility. Since most journalists like to write about timely topics, adding a brand’s commentary aligns with existing conversations and  ‘rides the wave’ of the news cycle. Reactive campaigns in Digital PR often use newsjacking to respond to trends and connect them back to the brand. It is DPR’s job to involve their client, who can help provide credible commentary, strengthen the story, and be involved in those trending conversations.

The ‘Perfect’ Pitch

The aim in Digital PR is to secure top-tier coverage. However, that all starts with sending journalists the ‘perfect’ pitch. Below are the elements that most (if not all) pitches should include:

Exclusive offer

Start by outreaching exclusive pitches. Put ‘EXCLUSIVE’ at the beginning of the subject line, which grabs attention, creates urgency, and makes the journalist feel prioritised. It’s important to offer exclusive stories to just one journalist/publication at a time to avoid damaging relationships. Once a story has run, you can’t offer it as an exclusive again, so choose your contacts carefully. I’d suggest prioritising target publications you most want coverage from, whether that’s high-authority outlets or titles you haven’t secured links on yet. Be sure to select journalists whose audiences will genuinely care about the news you’re sharing. Many outlets provide team pages outlining each journalist’s beat, making it easier to identify the right contacts.

Personalisation

A simple way to make your email feel more personal is by adding phrases like ‘I read your recent article on XYZ’ or ‘you recently covered a story on XYZ so I thought you might be interested in the following story’. On a deeper level, you can tailor your pitch by adjusting headlines to match the style of the publication and including statistics that are relevant to them. This shows the journalist that you’ve done your research and genuinely care about whether they cover your story.

What is the story?

Use the first few sentences of the pitch to include key statistics or insights that encapsulate the story and will grab a journalist’s attention. The rest of the pitch should then provide other key data needed for the story.

Why should they cover?

This could be a sentence or two that proves why the story is newsworthy right now. ‘With XYZ happening last Friday…’. You could also highlight more indirect connections; for example, we launched a Sun-Safety Index when sunscreen recalls were occurring, as well as at the start of summer, making it highly relevant to journalists.

‘Do it for them’

Provide clear context and simplify the topic so journalists can quickly grasp the angle. This groundwork makes the story easier for them to cover. Michael Smart explains that a powerful pitch comes from PR pros becoming assistant journalists. The bulk of a pitch should be dedicated to giving background and context to whatever story you’re telling. By doing the groundwork, the pitch is made easy for journalists to analyse key information and report on it quickly. It also shows that DPR have mastered the subject.

Quote/Expert Insight

Use expert quotes to add authority and strengthen the story with credibility. In Digital PR, the expert is often the brand itself.

Assets

A great pitch should include everything a journalist will need to write their story. This includes images, charts, data sets, and a link back to the research. The fewer questions they have, the better. 

Call to Action

What you want the journalist to do. ‘It would be appreciated if you could include a link to [CLIENT WEBSITE].’

Mutual Dependence

The relationship between journalists and Digital PR is a mutual dependence. Each group has their own distinct needs that overlap; one is seeking stories to tell, the other is seeking stories to ‘sell.’

Beyond deliverables, the relationship also depends on qualities like trust. Digital PR professionals must disseminate truthful, accurate, verifiable information. They must also be able to quickly provide supporting materials, such as a case study or exclusive quote. When this is done, a journalist is more likely to remember them and reach out independently in the future.

Here are three key tips to form meaningful relationships with journalists:

• Build genuine relationships. This can be done by making a journalist’s life easier – replying to them quickly, offering exclusives, helping them with a story, providing everything they need in a pitch and thanking them for coverage. Just remember that even a great relationship can’t save a weak story.
• Let strong stories and compelling angles be the foundation of your media relationships.
• Invest real time and effort into personal contacts, whether that’s grabbing a coffee or regularly checking in.

Challenges and Opportunities in the Relationship

The opportunities in the relationship between a journalist and a DPR are significant. The main one is mutual efficiency. DPR can act as assistant journalists, outreaching pitches that provide research, assets, expert sources, and story ideas, which saves journalists time. It is also in these pitches that DPR can provide interactive content and unique data visualisations that journalists might not otherwise have access to. This supports collaborative storytelling, where DPR can provide stories that inspire deeper reporting from the journalist. Over time, by sending thoughtful and relevant pitches, journalists and DPR can build long-term relationships based on trust and reliability. 

However, there are challenges that both parties need to consider. Journalists can receive hundreds of pitches a day. DPRs must avoid over-pitching or outreaching irrelevant content, which can be seen as intrusive, overwhelming, and can damage relationships. With DPR gaining traction, it also means that journalists are often flooded with pitches from multiple agencies, making it harder for any story to stand out. The rapid news cycle also means that DPR may struggle to pitch at the right moment, or that journalists have deadlines that don’t align with campaign schedules. The rise of social media, blogs and other media channels means that both parties need to constantly adapt or risk being left behind. 

Final Notes

It is important to remember that DPR exists to support journalists, and vice versa. While tight deadlines and competing priorities can put pressure on this relationship, there is no doubt that effective collaboration can deliver value to both parties.

Overall, DPR should continue to consider a journalist’s needs, deadlines and audiences to make the pitching process smoother. At the same time, journalists should view DPR as a partner in collaborative storytelling and a reliable resource that can enhance coverage.