---
name: "media-relations"
description: "Plan earned media outreach: media list, pitch templates, outreach tracker, interview prep."
---

# Media Relations

## Scope

**Covers**
- Turning an announcement into a **newsworthy angle** (“what’s new” + “why now” + proof)
- Building a targeted **media list** (outlets + reporters + freelancers) with tiers and pitch angles
- Designing an **exclusive/embargo strategy** (staggered outreach, clear offer, fallback plan)
- Preparing a lightweight **pitch kit** (email templates, press materials checklist, media FAQ)
- Running an **outreach + follow-up cadence** with a tracker
- Managing **interview scheduling + spokesperson prep** and post-coverage follow-up

**When to use**
- “Build a media list and pitch journalists for our launch/announcement.”
- “We want to offer an exclusive (or embargo). Help us plan and execute outreach.”
- “Write press pitch emails and a follow-up cadence.”
- “Prep our spokesperson for a reporter interview and create a media FAQ.”

**When NOT to use**
- You’re handling crisis comms, reputational incidents, or legal emergencies (use a crisis-comms workflow with legal/PR lead).
- You don’t have a real “news peg” yet (first do positioning/messaging or an announcement brief).
- You want guaranteed coverage, placements, or paid distribution (this is earned media; outcomes aren’t guaranteed).
- You need regulated claims review (medical/legal/financial) and can’t provide an approval path.
- You need a full launch campaign with channel plan, internal readiness, and day-of runbook (use `launch-marketing`; it includes a PR outreach kit).
- You want a brand story or founder narrative for your website/deck, not a press pitch (use `brand-storytelling`).
- You want to build an online community or ambassador program, not pitch journalists (use `community-building`).

## Inputs

**Minimum required**
- What’s happening: announcement type + what’s new (2–5 bullets)
- Timing: desired publish window, embargo constraints (if any)
- Audience: who you want to reach and where they get information
- Proof: metrics, customer examples, demo links, screenshots, credible specifics (or placeholders)
- Spokesperson: who can talk + availability constraints
- Guardrails: what cannot be shared publicly; any legal/compliance requirements

**Missing-info strategy**
- Ask up to 5 questions from [references/INTAKE.md](references/INTAKE.md) (3–5 at a time), then proceed.
- If proof is missing, use placeholders and output an “evidence to collect” list (do not invent facts).
- If you can’t share sensitive details, accept redacted versions and write pitches at a higher level.

## Outputs (deliverables)

Produce a **Media Relations Pack** (Markdown in-chat; or as files if requested) in this order:

1) **Context snapshot** (what, who, timing, constraints, success definition)
2) **Newsworthiness brief** (“what’s new”, “why now”, angle options, proof/evidence)
3) **Media list + tiering** (targets, beats, rationale, pitch angle per target)
4) **Exclusive/embargo plan** (sequencing, offer, timeline, fallback)
5) **Pitch kit** (email templates + subject lines + follow-up cadence)
6) **Press materials checklist + drafts outline** (press release/blog PR alternative, media FAQ, bio, assets)
7) **Outreach tracker spec** (table + statuses + next actions)
8) **Interview prep** (talking points, do/don’t, sensitive topics, bridging)
9) **Risks / Open questions / Next steps** (always included)

Templates and checklists:
- [references/TEMPLATES.md](references/TEMPLATES.md)
- [references/WORKFLOW.md](references/WORKFLOW.md)
- [references/CHECKLISTS.md](references/CHECKLISTS.md)
- [references/RUBRIC.md](references/RUBRIC.md)

## Workflow (8 steps)

### 1) Intake + success definition
- **Inputs:** User prompt; [references/INTAKE.md](references/INTAKE.md).
- **Actions:** Confirm the announcement, primary audience, desired window, and what success means (e.g., “2–4 tier-1/2 hits” or “reach X niche audience”). Capture constraints and approvals.
- **Outputs:** Context snapshot + assumptions/TBDs list.
- **Checks:** You can answer in one sentence: “The goal of this outreach is _____ by _____.”

### 2) Create the newsworthiness brief (prep)
- **Inputs:** What’s new, why now, proof, audience.
- **Actions:** Draft 2–3 angles. Define the “new information” and the credible specifics you can share. Decide if an exclusive or embargo is appropriate.
- **Outputs:** Newsworthiness brief + angle shortlist.
- **Checks:** Each angle has (a) a clear “new” claim, (b) a why-now reason, (c) at least one proof point (or “to validate”).

### 3) Build the target list (who to pitch)
- **Inputs:** Angle shortlist; target geos; competitor/adjacent coverage examples (if any).
- **Actions:** Create a tiered media list: Tier 1 (dream), Tier 2 (likely), Tier 3 (long tail). Map each target to a beat and a specific hook.
- **Outputs:** Media list table (tiered) + selection rationale.
- **Checks:** Every target has a personalized hook; no “spray and pray” list of generic outlets.

### 4) Design exclusive/embargo + sequencing (stagger it)
- **Inputs:** Tier 1–2 list; timeline; spokesperson availability; approval constraints.
- **Actions:** If using an exclusive, pick 1–3 best-fit targets and define: what they get, when they get it, and how you’ll follow up. Plan staggered outreach and a fallback path if the exclusive fails.
- **Outputs:** Exclusive/embargo plan (timeline + decision points).
- **Checks:** The exclusive offer is explicit; the fallback path is defined; timing is realistic for reporter cycles.

### 5) Prepare the pitch kit + press materials
- **Inputs:** Newsworthiness brief + target list.
- **Actions:** Draft subject lines and pitch emails (exclusive + standard). Create a media FAQ and a press materials checklist; outline a press release or announcement blog post and assemble links/assets.
- **Outputs:** Pitch kit + materials outline/checklist.
- **Checks:** Pitch is short, specific, and reporter-centric (no hype); every “big claim” has proof or a placeholder.

### 6) Execute outreach + track responses
- **Inputs:** Pitch kit; outreach tracker template.
- **Actions:** Send outreach in waves (exclusive first if applicable). Track status, schedule follow-ups, and capture relationship notes. Handle declines gracefully and ask for the right redirect (“who covers this?”).
- **Outputs:** Populated outreach tracker + next-action list.
- **Checks:** Follow-up cadence is respectful; tracking is up to date; no duplicate/conflicting pitches.

### 7) Manage interviews + follow through
- **Inputs:** Interested replies; spokesperson; media FAQ; constraints.
- **Actions:** Schedule interviews, prep the spokesperson, and provide supporting assets. After the interview, send a concise follow-up with links and clarifications. If factual errors occur, request corrections politely and precisely.
- **Outputs:** Interview prep doc + follow-up note templates.
- **Checks:** Spokesperson is aligned on 3 key messages; sensitive topics have safe responses; logistics are confirmed.

### 8) Post-coverage: amplify + maintain relationships + quality gate
- **Inputs:** Coverage links; tracker; [references/CHECKLISTS.md](references/CHECKLISTS.md) and [references/RUBRIC.md](references/RUBRIC.md).
- **Actions:** Log coverage, send thank-yous, amplify appropriately, and update relationship notes. Score the pack with the rubric and include Risks/Open questions/Next steps.
- **Outputs:** Final Media Relations Pack + post-mortem notes (what worked/what to change).
- **Checks:** You can re-run the outreach loop next time using the tracker and templates with minimal rework.

## Quality gate (required)
- Use [references/CHECKLISTS.md](references/CHECKLISTS.md) and [references/RUBRIC.md](references/RUBRIC.md).
- Always include: **Risks**, **Open questions**, **Next steps**.

## Examples

**Example 1 (Launch):** “Use `media-relations`. We’re launching <product> for <ICP> on <date>. Goal: 10 high-quality mentions in niche publications. We can offer 1 exclusive. Provide a Media Relations Pack with a media list, exclusive plan, pitch emails, and an outreach tracker.”  
Expected: tiered media list + exclusive timeline, pitch templates, tracker table, and interview prep.

**Example 2 (Funding/announcement):** “Use `media-relations` to plan press outreach for our Series A announcement. Audience: founders and operators. Constraints: no revenue numbers. Create angles, target reporters, and a pitch kit.”  
Expected: angle options that work without sensitive metrics, media list with hooks, and templates for embargo outreach.

**Boundary example (spray-and-pray):** “Blast 500 journalists and guarantee TechCrunch will cover us.”
Response: refuse guarantee/spray-and-pray; propose a targeted list + staggered outreach + realistic success metrics.

**Boundary example (redirect to launch-marketing):**
“Plan our full product launch: channel plan, internal enablement, day-of runbook, and also pitch some reporters.”
Response: this is a full launch campaign. Redirect to `launch-marketing` (which includes a PR outreach kit); use `media-relations` separately if you need deeper journalist relationship management beyond the launch.

## Anti-patterns

1. **Spray-and-pray outreach** — Sending the same generic pitch to hundreds of journalists with no personalization. Every target must have a tailored hook tied to their beat and recent coverage.
2. **Pitching without a news peg** — Reaching out to reporters when there is no genuinely new information (product exists, company exists). If there is no “what's new + why now,” pause and create one first.
3. **Breaking embargo terms** — Sharing embargoed information with non-embargoed contacts or publishing before the agreed time. Embargo plans must have explicit timelines, decision points, and fallback scenarios.
4. **Fabricating proof points** — Inventing metrics, customer quotes, or endorsements to strengthen a pitch. Every claim must be substantiated or explicitly labeled as a placeholder.
5. **Ignoring relationship maintenance** — Treating journalists as a one-time transaction. Always send thank-yous, share coverage internally, and update relationship notes for future outreach cycles.