Press release vs pitch email: which to send, and when
Founders often send a press release as a pitch and wonder why nobody replies. They are different documents with different jobs, different lengths and different readers. Getting this wrong is the most common reason a good story goes uncovered.
Short answer
A press release announces to the world and lives on your press page. A pitch email asks one specific person to do one specific thing this week. The release is broadcast; the pitch is a conversation starter.
The one-line difference
A press release announces to the world and lives on your press page. A pitch email asks one specific person to do one specific thing this week. The release is broadcast; the pitch is a conversation starter.
Send a pitch email when
You want a specific reporter to write a specific story. The pitch is short, personal, references their work, and offers something only you can offer — data, access, a founder interview, an exclusive.
- You have a beat-matched list and a news hook with a deadline.
- The story needs a human to shape it, not a document to copy.
- You are following up on a relationship you already started.
Send a press release when
The news is a fact that aggregators and industry publications will publish as-is: funding, a launch, a partnership, an executive hire, an award.
- You need a citable document of record with a dateline.
- You want a canonical page on your own site for search and AI assistants.
- You are distributing to wire services or trade publications that expect a release.
How the two work together
Publish the release on your press page, then pitch the story behind it to ten matched reporters with a link. The release gives them something to verify against; the pitch gives them a reason to care. Neither one alone is as strong as the pair.
Frequently asked
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