How to Craft Media Kits Journalists Trust
Building press materials that earn respect and responses from busy journalists.
The Journalist's Perspective
Journalists are busy. They receive dozens—sometimes hundreds—of pitches daily. They're working on multiple stories simultaneously. They have editors asking for updates and deadlines approaching.
Your media kit is competing for attention in this environment. Understanding this reality is the first step to creating materials that actually get used.
What Journalists Actually Need
Through conversations with dozens of journalists across tech, business, and industry publications, patterns emerge about what makes media materials trustworthy and useful.
Clarity Over Cleverness
Journalists need to understand what you do quickly. Skip the marketing jargon. Avoid clever metaphors that obscure meaning. State clearly: what does your company do, who does it serve, and why does it matter?
Facts Over Adjectives
"Revolutionary" and "groundbreaking" are red flags. They signal marketing spin. Instead, provide specific facts: growth rates, customer counts, measurable impact. Let journalists draw their own conclusions.
Context Over Claims
Position your company within broader trends and market context. Help journalists understand why your story matters now and how it connects to stories they're already tracking.
The Trust-Building Media Kit
Essential Elements
The One-Pager
A single page that answers the five core questions: What do you do? Who founded it and why? What problem do you solve? What traction have you achieved? What's the vision?
Founder Bio and Headshot
Professional but human. Include relevant background but also what drives the founder personally. High-resolution headshots that work in print and digital.
Fact Sheet
Verifiable facts only. Founding date, headquarters, employee count, funding (if relevant), key metrics, notable customers (with permission).
Story Angles Document
Three to five potential story angles, each with a hook, supporting facts, and available interview subjects. This gives journalists options and shows you understand their craft.
Assets Folder
High-resolution logos, product screenshots, and approved photos. Make it easy to include visual elements without back-and-forth requests.
The Anti-Patterns
Avoid these common mistakes that erode journalist trust:
The Long Game
A great media kit is the beginning of a relationship, not a transaction. When journalists find your materials reliable and useful, they'll return when they need a source. That ongoing trust is worth more than any single story.
- Embargo games: Only request embargoes when truly warranted
- Inflated metrics: Every claim should be defensible
- Celebrity name-dropping: Only mention relationships that are genuine and relevant
- Template pitches: Personalization shows respect for the journalist's work
- Attachments overload: Link to materials rather than clogging inboxes