Why Most PR Pitches Get Ignored (And How To Fix It)

Advice from a former journalist on why your press release isn’t being picked up — and how to get the coverage you need.

It’s been a few days, and there’s no response to your pitch. You spent hours prepping your client’s talking points, crafting the press release, and fine-tuning your media list. And then… silence. No phone calls, no emails — not a single reporter is biting.

It’s a frustrating scenario that’s happened to all PR professionals at one point or another, and there could be many reasons why your pitch isn’t being picked up. The good news: just a few small adjustments can make a big difference when it comes to grabbing a journalist’s attention.

Take it from a former journalist. The truth is, reporters aren’t being rude or uninterested — it’s possible they never opened your email at all. Reporters simply don’t have time to sift through generic, irrelevant, or poorly timed pitches.

Let’s troubleshoot why pitches get overlooked — and more importantly, what you can do to stand out.

1. Journalists Are Buried in Emails

The average reporter’s inbox is a daily avalanche. Between notes from their editor, breaking news updates, and hundreds of PR pitches, there’s no way to read everything — let alone respond. If your subject line isn’t clear, specific, and relevant to their beat, it’s likely getting deleted unopened.

Fix it: Think like a headline writer. Would your subject line make you want to click? Keep it tight, timely, and tailored to the reporter’s interests. “Innovative Tech Startup” won’t cut it. “Austin Startup Tackles AI in Disaster Relief — Founder Available For Interviews” might.

2. Your Pitch Isn’t Newsworthy

Just because something is exciting to your business or client doesn’t make it a story. Reporters are trained to determine what matters to their readers. If your story isn’t getting attention, it might be because it’s not timely or lacks impact.

Fix it: Ask yourself, “Why should a lay audience care about this?" Does the story you’re pitching tie into a trend, highlight new data, or solve a problem? More importantly, is it timely? For example, if your story involves a researcher at a local university who received a grant, that alone isn’t interesting. But if the outcome of their research could benefit the masses, like improving public health, that’s a story worth sharing. Your pitch should make it clear why this story matters.

3. You’re Targeting The Wrong Journalists

One-size-fits-all pitches are easy to spot — and easier to ignore. If you’re sending the same email to dozens of journalists with no customization, you’re wasting everyone’s time.

In most newsrooms, reporters specialize in certain topics, known as their "beat." For example, my beat was city hall: I almost exclusively covered local politics and city government issues. If someone sent me a press release about anything outside of my beat, it instantly got deleted. Sending your pitch to someone who doesn’t cover your industry almost guarantees you won’t get a response.

Fix it: Use media monitoring tools like Cision or Muck Rack to research journalists who might actually be interested in your pitch. Most tools allow you to search by coverage area and even identify reporters who are posting about your topic on social media. AI tools can also be useful for providing a list of reporters who write about the topic you’re promoting.

Do your research and target journalists whose coverage aligns with your story. Bonus points if you read their recent articles and reference them in an individual email to show you understand what they cover and how the story you’re pitching is relevant to their readers. A little personalization goes a long way in a sea of generic outreach.

4. You’re Pitching At The Wrong Time

Early-career PR pros might assume reporters have endless time to explore story ideas. In reality, most are juggling deadlines and filing multiple stories each day due to shrinking newsrooms. At my first newspaper, I was one of two reporters — and was expected to turn around two stories each day by 5 p.m. With an inbox overflowing with pitches, chances were high I didn’t look at any during the busiest time of the day.

Fix it: Timing matters. Avoiding sending pitches and press releases on Monday mornings when inboxes are overflowing, late in the week, or on holidays. Anything that hits inboxes late in the day on Friday is definitely getting ignored. Try sending them around mid-morning on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays, and be mindful of breaking news or current events. For example, if you pitched a local reporter in Texas who was covering the deadly flash floods over Fourth of July weekend, not only was your timing bad, it was in poor taste.

5. You’re Not Making It Easy For Them

If your pitch requires too much work to turn into a story — or doesn’t offer clear next steps — it’s going to the back of the line. It’s your job to make the reporter’s job easier. If you’re not providing the key details upfront or offering up sources who want to be interviewed (or are unavailable), a reporter will likely move on to a story they can actually complete by their deadline.

Fix it: Anticipate what journalists need to move the story forward. If you’re pitching a live event that they will want to cover, make sure they have all of the key details (who, what, when, where, and why it matters) and press credentialing information several days in advance. You’ll also need to provide photos or other multimedia for them to use in print or online, or else offer to arrange photo opportunities.

Most important: Reporters will almost always prefer interviews over canned or prepared quotes. Make sure you offer sources who are available for interviews when you send the pitch.

The Bottom Line

If you’ve not receiving any responses, it might be time to explore other outlets or adjust your angle. Getting media coverage is never a guarantee, and sometimes it can feel like shouting into the void. But making these simple adjustments can significantly improve your chances of getting noticed.