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Earned-media pitch planning worksheet
Shape an audience-relevant story angle, assess one outlet’s fit, check ethical story readiness, and plan a measured follow-up without building a contact list or sending outreach.
Start with a story the audience has a reason to care about
Consider what is timely, relevant to a specific community, and supported by real facts. Choose a human story only after the consent and privacy check; data, milestones, trends, or visual material can be strong alternatives.
Check fit and readiness before outreach
Assess one outlet at a time against its audience, cause or sector coverage, geographic reach, and recent similar reporting. Prepare a spokesperson, verified facts and outcomes, supporting materials, a concise tailored premise, and a practical response plan.
Keep expectations realistic and participant-led
Earned coverage is never guaranteed and editorial decisions remain with the outlet. Participant service use is not consent. Permission must be informed and voluntary, separate from services, and sought outside vulnerable moments; honor preferences on identification and images, and let participants review written material.
A temporary planning session in this browser
Plan the story before you plan the outreach.
Work through relevance, fit, readiness, care, and response. Coverage is never guaranteed; an outlet makes its own editorial decisions.
01 / Story angle
Why this story, why now, and for whom?
Start with an audience need and a real moment. Choose a supported angle; do not stretch a mission statement into news.
What is happening now, and what makes this the right time to tell the story?
Which audience or community is affected, and what question or need does the story address?
Connect the timely moment, audience relevance, story angle, and verified support in one clear sentence.
02 / Consent and privacy
Put participant choice before a human story.
Complete this check before planning a human-centered story. These answers are only in browser memory. Record no names, contact details, service histories, or identifying participant details here.
If any check is not true, do not pitch a participant’s story. Do not seek consent during a vulnerable moment or make it a condition of receiving services. Choose a supported non-personal angle while the team resolves the concern.
03 / Outlet fit
Is this the right outlet for this story?
Assess one outlet at a time against its audience, coverage, geography, and recent reporting. There are no journalist name, email, or phone fields and no list-building feature.
Assess one outlet at a time. This is a fit check, not a contact list.
Who does this outlet serve, and what would those readers want to understand?
What recent or recurring coverage shows that this outlet covers the cause, issue, or sector?
Does the outlet reach the community, place, or region connected to the story?
What similar reporting have you seen recently, and what is genuinely new or useful here?
04 / Readiness
Be ready to respond with care and evidence.
Which role can explain the issue plainly, answer questions, and hold appropriate boundaries?
What facts, dates, numbers, and outcomes can the team verify, and what still needs checking?
What approved background information, visuals, captions, or other materials are ready?
Draft a short premise for this outlet’s audience. Keep it factual, specific, and easy to decline.
05 / Response plan
Set a follow-up plan the team can actually keep.
Name roles, not personal contact details, for answering questions and checking facts.
What response time can the team meet without skipping verification or consent?
If there is no response, decide whether and when one considerate follow-up makes sense.
Plan how to answer questions, correct factual misunderstandings, or close the loop if the story does not move forward.
Earned media is editorially independent. A strong plan can improve relevance and preparedness, but it cannot guarantee coverage or control how a story is ultimately presented.
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