Pitching
Part of Digital PR for product and company news
Providing facts a journalist can independently verify
Match announcement claims to records journalists can inspect, and explain each record’s source, date and limits.
For each important announcement claim, give a journalist a route to check it: the relevant record, its date, its source and what it can establish. A press release that repeats a company assertion may explain the company's position, but repetition does not independently verify it.
Match claims to records
Read the draft sentence by sentence. For a launch date, identify a dated release note or approved schedule, and distinguish a completed launch from a plan. For eligibility, provide current terms or a product page showing who can use the offering.
For registration details, point to the relevant public register entry. For an outcome claim, supply the method and results that support its stated scope, or remove the claim.
| Claim | Material a reporter can inspect | What it cannot establish alone |
|---|---|---|
| A feature is available | A dated release note and a way to observe the feature | Access for every account or device |
| A company is registered | The relevant public register entry | Product quality or market position |
| A listed company made a disclosure | The specific exchange announcement | Independent proof of its contents |
| Users achieved an outcome | The defined data, method and calculation | Results beyond the studied group |
In Australia, ASIC provides searchable company and organisation details; some information is free and further records attract a fee. ASX provides access to historical market announcements.
Check the exact entry or announcement before citing it. An exchange disclosure remains issuer-originated material, even when its publication can be confirmed independently.
Key Australian Sources for Verification
- ASIC Company Register
- Searchable public register for Australian companies and organisations
- ASX Announcements
- Historical market disclosures from listed Australian companies
- ABC News Accuracy Guidelines
- Best practice standards for factual reporting in Australia
- Reuters Standards & Values
- Global journalism standards with relevance to Australian media
Include the limits of each figure
For every number, retain its unit, population, period and calculation. Say whether it comes from observed activity, a survey, a model or a forecast.
Keep a trial-user limit beside a result drawn only from trial users. Describe any conditions under which a measured benefit was obtained.
A screen recording or demonstration shows what happened under its stated setup. It does not establish typical performance or reliability without further evidence. If checking requires a restricted account or an interview, offer access where possible and explain the restrictions.
Make the source trail usable
Prepare a working claim list with the proposed wording, record, record date, owner and known limit. Give the journalist the relevant material rather than a chain of summaries, and make sure its version matches the announcement.
If support consists only of an internal assurance that cannot be inspected, state what can be disclosed and narrow the public claim. Newsrooms may check original documents, speak to people with direct knowledge and seek other sources. A handover that does this lets a journalist verify without adopting the company's conclusion.
