Getting Your Research in the Spotlight: A Scientist's Guide to Media Pitching

Picture this. You’ve made a groundbreaking discovery. Your findings could impact everyday lives of people in your community.

And you think – “I need to get this out beyond my social media feed. Maybe I should reach out to the media to see if they could help share the results?”

Then, it sinks in. So many questions. Where do I begin? What do I say? How can I explain the findings so that the journalist will understand the magnitude? Who should I reach out to? Will they be interested?

As someone who has worked with connecting researchers and scientist like yourself to the media, I know how intimidating this process can feel. Your questions are justified. But thankfully, it is not as difficult to navigate as one may think!

More importantly, journalists and reporters are looking for your expertise! According to a 2024 survey of over 1,000 journalists, subject matter experts and researchers are considered the most credible sources. They are interested in your work! The demand is there, now all we have to do is figure out how to connect with the media and share your research.

Media pitching is a proactive way to get you and your research in front of media and into the hands of the public.

If you are interested in pitching your research to the media, you’re in the right place. In this post, we’ll cover:

• What exactly is a media pitch

• How to come up with an angle that interests journalists and their audience

• Connecting to the right journalists or member of the media

• How to write a media pitch

• Strategies to get your pitch covered

Crafting Your Media Pitch Strategy

Understanding Media Pitching

What exactly is a media pitch?

Media pitching is offering your research or expertise to journalists for potential coverage in a mainstream news article. Pitching usually involves contacting a journalist or editor with an intriguing idea that could become a story to be written by the journalist. Upon interest in your media pitch, a journalist may ask for an interview, for more information, or for your published research to include in an article. If you are interested in writing a full article to be published by a mainstream media outlet, you might consider an op-ed.

A typical pitch includes:

• Brief overview of relevant research findings

• Why it's important or interesting for the outlet and their audience

• How it relates to current events and/or public interest

Before you jump in, let’s talk a bit about a few of the challenges with pitching the media. Journalists are very busy, overworked, and usually under-supported. Some may cover 4 different topic areas, or beats, as they are called in the biz. They may also receive more than 6 pitches a day! All this to say, you may be fighting an uphill battle.

All the more reason to approach media pitching with a bit of strategy. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to break through the noise and position your work in an intriguing way.

Identifying Your Key Angle/Message

Without an angle, your pitch may end up in the proverbial trash bin.

Your angle/message are the key points and narratives that help connect your research findings to a wider audience. This is how you frame your findings to make them relevant, understandable, and engaging to the target audiences through the media channel.

One thing to always remember - media outlets serve their audience, not your research. Developing messaging focused the audience and the publication is critical. You may have several findings and points you want to cover but fight the urge! Focus on the findings that are relevant to the audience and outlet.

Here are a few questions to reflect on as you are narrowing down your angle/messaging:

• What value does it bring to the media outlet?

• How does your research align with the outlet’s audience and interests?

• What is the one thing you would like the audience to walk away with after learning about your research? If you had to distill your message to a single point, what would it be?

• How can you connect your research to the reader's life?

When crafting your angle/message, think about ways to share it as a compelling story. Humans connect with narratives. Thinking about your own purpose and what made you commit your life to studying this topic is a great place to start when thinking of a narrative.

Structurally, when you are ready to start writing your messaging, remember to:

• Distill relevant research findings into 2-4 key points.

• Focus on findings, their meaning, and how they impact the reader, not process or methods.

• Avoid jargon.

• Prioritise depth over breadth.

Connecting with the Right Media Outlets and Journalists

Now that you’ve got an idea of how to package the research, you have to figure out who would be interested in the pitch.

Finding the right journalist is all about relevancy. About 49% of journalists do not respond to pitches, mostly because it is irrelevant to the beat(s) or the topics they cover. So targeting the right person can dramatically increase your chances of success.

Identifying the right journalists and outlets requires some research. They should cover your research topic frequently and recently. The journalists should also write for a publication that reaches your target audience (e.g., general public, policymakers, etc.). You may stumble upon freelance writers who cover your topic and can pitch the idea to a publication.

Start by searching for journalists via:

1. Social media by looking at relevant hashtags and keywords to identify accounts.

2. Your library databases to search mainstream media publications and writers.

3. Your institution's public affairs office, especially if you want to focus on the local community.

4. Media databases (e.g., Qwoted, Muck Rack).

5. Research public relations professionals like me😊

Here are a few tips for connecting with the right journalists:

• Be as niche as possible.

• Many journalists rely heavily on social media to share their writing and to find new sources. Do not discount a Twitter/X or LinkedIn connection.

• Similar to research publishing, you should pitch to one journalist at a time.

• Once you find a few journalists, read their work, follow them on social media, and engage with them by sharing their work, commenting on their posts, and/or offering commentary.

Crafting an Effective Media Pitch

We have our messaging and contacts. Now it’s time to write the pitch email!

Your pitch email should be concise and compelling, and include:

1. A catchy subject line no longer than 65-80 characters (8-9 words).

2. A personalised greeting and introduction that speaks to the journalist's interest in the topic, how they’ve written on the topic recently, or something else that speaks to this specific journalist.

3. A strong opening sentence, or lede, that pulls the reader in immediately and holds their interest.

4. Your key findings and why it is newsworthy. Tease the information but do not give away the entire story. Intrigue is the name of the game. 

5. A call to action, tease, or some data can leave the journalist interested in learning more.

6. How the research is related to current events, the outlet's audience, the publication, society, etc.

7. Your contact information

Here is an example of a cold pitch. This pitch gives enough information for a journalist to get them interested. It is personalised (referencing the journalist’s previous work on the topic), connects the findings to their audience, and it offers a call-to-action (available for interviews/schedule a call).

Here are a few tips for crafting an effective pitch:

• Write in a conversational yet professional tone.

• Use bullet points for key findings or any points you’d like to draw attention to.

• Avoid jargon and technical terms.

• Focus on outcomes, not the research process or methods.

• Do not include attachments. Opt to link [TR5] to your research for more information.

Strategies For Success

Here are a few strategies to help you succeed in your media pitching efforts.

Timing is Everything

Avoid heavy news cycles: Hold off on sending your pitch if breaking news is breaking the internet.

Capitalize on current events: Called newsjacking, this is a common way to get coverage. For example, you can reach out to the media and offer your point of view on a controversial law that is making its way through the legislative system. Typically, this involves quick turnaround, so be prepared.

When To Follow Up

When should you follow up after you send your email pitch and how often?

As a standard practice, follow up once, within 3-7 days after initial contact.

Forwarding the initial email as your follow-up is standard, but make it personal. A simple sentence or two reiterating the pitch will suffice. Or you can add data or another interesting point to help elevate the pitch. A sure way for your email to be deleted is by forwarding the email, saying “Please see below.”

If and when a journalist replies with interest to your pitch, respond as soon as possible with everything they request. Timing is of the essence to show you are a reliable and responsive source of information.

Conclusion

Media pitching is a powerful tool for scientists and researchers to share their research with a broader audience and increase its impact.

Successful media pitching requires careful preparation that might be outside your wheelhouse. But with this guide, a little practice and iterating, and a strong message, your pitch will land with the right journalist.

By understanding the basics of media pitching, crafting a compelling narrative around your research, and preparing for interactions with journalists, you can effectively share your work with the public.

Want to learn more about media pitching?

Interested in media outreach to share your research with a wider audience?

(Cintron, Revised) offers support for scientists, scholars, research teams, and organisations interested in elevating their research impact through media engagement strategies. Services include:

• One-on-one consultations

• Interactive workshops

• Customised media outreach strategy & planning

• Full-service media outreach and engagement

To learn more about how (Cintron, Revised) can help amplify your research impact, visit https://cintronrevised.com/ or sign up for our monthly newsletter, From Published to Public.

Short bio:

Alicia Cintron, PhD is a research and science communications professional. As the founder of (Cintron, Revised), she specialises in helping scientists, researchers, scholars, and thought leaders amplify the impact of their research through strategic communication planning, personalised coaching, and expert content development. With her unique blend of academic expertise and entrepreneurial spirit, Alicia empowers scholars and thought leaders to effectively share their knowledge with wider audiences and make a lasting impact in their fields.