Checking recent coverage before sending a pitch

Read the journalist’s recent relevant work before sending. Establish what it has already told readers, what remains open and whether your material supplies a checkable addition. Covering the same topic does not mean the journalist needs the same point again.

Read beyond the headline

Open the closest pieces from the journalist and section. Check their dates and look for a newer report that changes the position. Note the question each article answered, the people or records it drew on, and the conclusion it actually reached. A headline may omit a condition that appears in the body.

Preserve those conditions when making the comparison. A report on a trial does not establish a full release. A finding from one area does not answer the same question everywhere. Your own company data may add a relevant observation without describing an entire industry.

State the addition in one line

Write: ‘The earlier article established [point]; our material can establish [new point], for [defined group or place].’ The brackets are a working check, not pitch copy. Name the record or person that could substantiate the new point.

A confirmed development since publication, a relevant record the article lacked or a checkable answer to an open question may be useful. A new company comment that only agrees with an article is a weaker addition. If the proposed point is already in the reporting, revise it or leave that pitch unsent.

Check whether the timing and scope still work

An older piece may help identify a subject without showing the journalist’s current assignment. Check for later coverage, role changes and whether the event is still developing. If the issue is settled, identify a fresh reason for readers to revisit it instead of treating the old article as an invitation.

Keep a short note of the articles and dates reviewed, the proposed addition, its evidence and its main limit. Send only if the addition is relevant and ready to check.

Revise if the evidence answers a narrower question. Hold if recent coverage has already answered it or the supporting material is incomplete. This comparison does not predict publication.

Media pitch readiness indicators