A press release is not the whole job. It gives journalists the facts. Your follow-up pitch gives them the angle.
That matters because reporters are not sitting around waiting for your announcement. They are sorting through crowded inboxes, deadlines, editor requests, and half-finished stories. Your job is not to “check in.” Your job is to make the story easier to see.
A good follow-up pitch does three things:
- It reminds the reporter why the story fits their beat.
- It gives them a clear angle, not just a link to the release.
- It makes the next step simple.
If you need a broader workflow, eReleases has a useful guide on turning a press release into earned media. The templates below are built for that next step: the short, focused email you send after distribution.
Before You Follow Up
Wait long enough to be respectful, but not so long that the story goes cold. Cision’s guidance on following up on a media pitch notes that many journalists want a couple of days to review a pitch before hearing from you again.
Also, do not send the same note to everyone. A reporter covering retail trends should not get the same angle as a reporter covering local hiring. Same press release. Different story.
Here is the simple rule: follow up once with purpose. If you have a real update, a better angle, or a useful source, you have a reason to email. If all you have is “just checking in,” keep it to yourself. Your inbox will survive.
Template 1: The Straight Follow-Up
| Subject: Quick follow-up: [Company] announces [news] Hi [First Name], I wanted to follow up on the release about [Company] [brief announcement]. The reason I thought this might fit your coverage is [one sentence tying it to their beat, recent article, or audience]. The most useful angle may be [specific angle], especially for readers who care about [audience concern]. Here is the release: [link] Happy to connect you with [spokesperson name/title] or send over a short quote, images, or background. Best, |
Template 2: The Local Angle
| Subject: Local angle on [announcement] Hi [First Name], I’m reaching out because [Company] is based in/serves/employs people in [location], and the company just announced [news]. The local angle is [jobs, expansion, customer impact, community benefit, funding, event, milestone]. For your readers, this may be less about the announcement itself and more about [why it matters locally]. Release here: [link] Would you like a short comment from [spokesperson] on what this means for [city/region]? Best, |
Template 3: The Trade Publication Pitch
| Subject: Story idea for [industry] readers Hi [First Name], I saw your recent coverage of [topic/article], and thought this announcement from [Company] may be relevant. [Company] just announced [news]. For [industry] readers, the key point is [specific industry angle]. This could work as a short news item or as part of a larger trend story on [trend]. Release: [link] I can also provide:
Best, |
Template 4: The Founder or Expert Angle
| Subject: Source idea: [spokesperson] on [topic] Hi [First Name], Following up on [Company]’s announcement about [news], I wanted to offer [spokesperson name] as a source. They can speak to:
This may be useful if you are covering [trend, issue, market shift, local development, consumer problem]. Release here: [link] Would a short email Q&A be helpful? Best, |
Template 5: The “New Information” Follow-Up
| Subject: Update on [announcement] Hi [First Name], I wanted to share one quick update related to [Company]’s recent announcement. Since the release went out, [new detail: customer response, event registration, funding context, data point, availability, partnership detail]. That may make the story more timely because [reason]. Original release: [link] Happy to send more background or connect you with [source]. Best, |
What Makes These Templates Work
The best follow-up emails are short, specific, and useful. Muck Rack’s State of Journalism research continues to show that PR pitches influence real reporting, but that does not mean every pitch deserves attention.
The difference is relevance.
Do not ask a reporter to figure out the story for you. Show them the angle. Give them the facts. Offer a source. Then step back.
That is not fancy. It is respectful. And in media relations, respectful often works better than clever.
Mickie Kennedy founded eReleases.com in 1998 after watching PR firms charge small businesses a $20,000 minimum for a single press release. For 27 years, he’s been closing that gap — distributing 150,000+ releases via Cision PR Newswire, serving 30,000+ clients including Manscaped, Squatty Potty, and 40+ Shark Tank brands, and generating $132M+ in earned media. A sought-after podcast guest and two-time Amazon bestselling author of Beginner’s Guide to Writing Powerful Press Releases and The PR Strategy Manifesto. Mickie holds an MFA in Creative Writing from George Mason University. Based in Baltimore, MD. LinkedIn