How To Manage Being “Ghosted” By Media

As B2B PR pros, we’re always looking for creative ways to tell a story. We look to secure an article or segment that not only hits priority message points, but appears in an influential publication relevant to the company’s business. When pitching a significant news announcement, perhaps about a new product or VC funding, securing a story ahead of the announcement date is critical to a smooth launch. Timing is key.

Depending on the announcement, we may seek an exclusive, meaning one reporter has access to the news before others. Or we may go with an embargo, which means offering the news to a wider pool of media targets at the same time. 

Despite the best strategy and planning, PR plans can be foiled if the journalist goes silent and we’re ghosted. It’s a common term in dating, but when it happens in PR, a job based around effective communication, it’s particularly frustrating.

So what should you do when you are ghosted by a reporter?

Don’t take it personally 

It can be easy to assume the reporter has stopped responding because you did something to turn them off from the story, but that is likely not the case. Journalists are people, too, and sometimes things happen that pull them away from their job. The news item you’re discussing can seem like the most important thing in the world to your team, but for the reporter, it’s just another story. If they need to step away from work for personal reasons, emailing the PR person they’ve been in touch with may not be at the top of their list.

It’s helpful to follow reporters on Twitter, as they’ll likely post if they have to take time off. It can at least provide a reason why there’s no response and can give peace of mind knowing you did nothing ‘wrong’ to lose the story lead. 

Also, don’t be afraid to reach out to an editor. Especially if the publication is highly relevant to your client or company’s business, the last thing the publication wants is to have issues with a company that can bring future news items. An editor can likely clear the air, or at least push the reporter to respond with an explanation.

Follow up, but know when it’s time to stop

The art of the follow up can be its own blog post. A well worded and relevant follow-up often nets great opportunities, but it pays to understand when enough is enough. If a reporter has gone silent, feel free to follow up a few times on the same channel you’ve been communicating through, most likely email. If there’s no response in a couple of days, shoot them a DM on Twitter if their bio says they’re okay with that, or send a message over Signal if their handle is listed. (Many reporters in the security space publish theirs.) If you hear nothing after a few days, it’s probably time to move on.

Give yourself enough lead time

For any type of media outreach, lead time is critical. PR pros don’t always have lots of advance notice because an announcement can come up at the last minute. But if you do have the luxury of lead time, try to build at least 10 business days to secure a strong story — and also to account for being ghosted. That way, if a reporter goes dark, you have enough time to approach other targets you’ve already slated as relevant for the news. This will be more comfortable for the PR team, and it doesn’t force the new reporter to scramble for an interview and rush to get a good story together. 

Communicate with stakeholders 

Our jobs are based around communication. Don’t be afraid to be honest with a client or your internal team about the status of a given pitch or initiative. Being ghosted by members of the media is an unfortunate part of being in PR, so it’s up to us to share the reality of the situation. A client might think their agency is working slowly, isn’t putting in enough care, or is doing a bad job if a journalist has gone quiet. To avoid misunderstanding, have an alternative strategy ready, like new targets or moving back the announcement date to allow more time. At the very least demonstrate that you’re thinking critically to overcome barriers and pushing hard to keep the process moving.

3 PR Tips For Writing A Killer Media Pitch

In the pandemic era, capturing media attention has been tougher than usual. Journalists now work on smaller teams than they did before the pandemic and are juggling many more beats. So, B2B PR professionals have a small window to catch their attention, hold it enough for them to actually read a pitch, and find it interesting enough to want to take action.

The media pitch should also be short and personalized. It should outline the value of a story and convey to the editor why it’s worth their time and effort to publish a story on this topic. With these quick tips, you’ll be well on your way to writing stellar pitches that garner media attention and delight clients.

Compelling subject lines

As media professionals, we often underestimate the value of a great subject line. Journalists are flooded with hundreds of emails every day. What makes them pause to read one is a smart and thoughtful subject line.

The best subject lines include a stat, notable observation, or something contrary to the norm. For example, “DATA: 42% say AI will not take over.” A subject line should pique the interest of a journalist and prompt them to want to learn more. It’s helpful to keep subject lines no more than 10 words with an average character count of 64, according to Muckrack. Long subject lines are truncated when a reporter reviews their emails and will likely end up in their trash without even being reviewed. For example, a less compelling subject line would be “According to MIT, experts say AI won’t take over in the next decade.”

Keep it short and simple

Winning pitches are engaging, timely and succinct. Pitches that are opened by journalists are about 120-180 words. Journalists are busy people, so if you can’t frame a media approach with an interesting storyline in less than 180 words, it may be a good time to pause, reflect on what you’re trying to convey and rework the body of the pitch.

A winning pitch starts with an interesting intro paragraph (about 2-3 sentences) that highlights the thesis of the pitch. The body of the note should support that thesis. Be sure to start with an intro sentence that lays the foundation and makes the journalist want to read more. 

For example, “As more of us switch from TV to streaming, advertisers are following. Spend on ad-supported streamers – Pluto TV, Roku, Peacock, etc. – grew more than 25% last year. Unfortunately, fraudsters are taking advantage, stealing millions from newbie streaming advertisers by spoofing devices and apps, and faking ad clicks and views.”

When reviewing the pitch, look for areas to improve readability. It may benefit from bullet points to break up heavy text. Bolding words or sentences will make the interesting nuggets stand out more, and journalists will appreciate being able to quickly scan a pitch and fully comprehend it. Pitches should also be jargon-free for the most part unless you’re reaching out to a technical journalist about a specific subject matter.

Have a clear call to action

When there is a clear call to action (CTA) at the top or middle of the pitch, it’s not buried and difficult for the journalist to find. Media should be able to quickly review and understand the takeaway. For example, a clear CTA can be:

  • Setting up an interview with a client

  • Sharing a byline article for consideration

  • Offering an expert as a guest for a podcast

It tells the editor whether they should action the pitch now or save it for future reference. Identifying and offering an expert source from the onset is a key value-add in the journalist-PR pro dynamic. And, it will help build lasting relationships. 

Writing a media pitch should be second-nature to every PR person. But, journalists today have shorter attention spans than in the past. Taking the time for due diligence to ensure you’re targeting the right editor will go a long way in making you a go-to source for media inquiries and drumming up stellar media interest for internal or external clients.