If everything is a story, nothing is. Here’s how to pitch what actually matters.
A colleague of mine, formerly an editor at a national newspaper, recently held up her phone to show me her inbox. She scrolled for a full sixty seconds without reaching the bottom – not even close. No subject line lingered long enough to read.
It wasn’t a crisis.
It was Wednesday.
And she’s not an outlier. One recent industry survey found that nearly 80% of pitches journalists receive are irrelevant to their beat. About half of those same journalists said they “seldom or never” respond to pitches at all.
That’s not disinterest — it’s math. There simply isn’t enough bandwidth to sift through that much noise to find what’s useful.
This is a major reason why we’re no longer operating in an attention economy. Attention assumes something at least has a chance to be seen. We’re in an intention economy now: people — journalists included — only engage with what is directly relevant to what they need right now. Everything else gets filtered out before it ever registers.
In this environment, earned media is still possible, still powerful, and still trusted. But it is also more selective, slower, and more dependent on timing than many expect.
What Actually Gets Coverage Now
In practice, story placement tends to happen when at least one of the following is true:
1. There is real news.
Something genuinely new: data, decisions, launches, findings, outcomes.
2. There is a relationship.
Media relations is still, and has always been, relationship work.
3. There is timely relevance.
Thoughtful newsjacking — not bandwagon chasing.
4. Timing aligns.
And yes, occasionally, luck.
What Does Not Qualify as News
This is where many internal conversations get uncomfortable:
– “We are excited to announce…” is not news.
– “We worked really hard on this…” is not news.
– “We think more people should know about this…” is not news.
These things matter inside an organization. They do not automatically matter outside of it.
Earned media is not a reward for effort.
It is a response to relevance.
The Timeline Reality
A national story can take three to six months from pitch to publication.
Podcasts often book 8–20 weeks out.
Trade publications with lean teams may place contributed content only once per quarter.
This is not resistance. It’s mechanics.
Which means effective media strategy requires:
– A clear goal
– A realistic timeline
– A narrative with actual external value
– And an investment in ongoing relationships
What People Usually Mean When They Say “We Want PR”
Often, they mean:
We want awareness.
But awareness in 2025 does not come from a single article or interview.
It comes from layered communication across channels that reinforce one another.
Earned media is part of that system —
not a shortcut around it.
The Better Question
Instead of asking:
“How do we get coverage?”
Ask:
– What value are we offering the audience?
– Why does this matter now?
– What backs this up?
– Which outlets actually reach the people we care about?
When those answers are clear, earned media still works.
When they aren’t, no volume of emails solves the problem.
If everything is a story, nothing is.
So tell the one that truly matters.