On Dec. 10, Matter’s Denver office partnered with the Public Relations Society of America, Colorado Chapter (PRSA) to host its annual media roundtable – bringing together a diverse group of local journalists for a candid conversation about how newsrooms are changing, PR pitching tips for 2026, AI’s influence on visibility, and how communicators can build stronger, more productive relationships with reporters in the new year.
Michelle Ellis, former PRSA president and Founder of Ellis Communications Marketing, moderated the panel, which featured:
- Esteban L. Hernandez, reporter at Axios Denver
- Dan Grossman, journalist and morning anchor, Denver 7
- Linnea Covington, managing editor and journalist, DiningOut Denver
- Sheila Flynn, news and features reporter, The Independent, Daily Mail, 5280
- Jackson Guilfoil, reporter, Denver Business Journal
Here are the most important takeaways from the conversation:
1. The Newsroom Looks Different, but the Fundamentals Still Matter
Technology and newsroom structures have shifted dramatically over the past five years, changing how and where journalists work. Many newsrooms are now fully or partially remote, with reporters juggling multiple roles — pitching, reporting, editing, and sometimes even sourcing visuals themselves. With fewer people in newsrooms overall, journalists on the panel noted that they’re expected to do more, faster.
However, the panelists made clear that their reporting still relies on a foundation of context, accuracy and relevance.
PR professionals must keep those tenets in mind when pitching, coming fully prepared since journalists may not have the bandwidth to chase down missing details or additional sources.
2. Know the Journalist’s Beat
According to the reporters on the panel, the fastest way to lose credibility is sending generic, mass-distributed pitches that clearly don’t align with what they cover. Do your research before you pitch, and tailor each pitch to the journalist, or your email will be automatically deleted.
Effective pitches:
- Reference the reporter’s past stories
- Demonstrate an understanding of the reporter’s beat (don’t pitch a politics story to a tech reporter)
- Clearly explain why the story matters now
Several panelists noted that even a simple line like “I saw your recent story on X” — with a link — goes a long way toward signaling respect, understanding and value.
3. Keep Your Pitches Short, Clear and Human
When it comes to pitch structure, less is more. Journalists encouraged PR professionals to:
- Get to the point in the first sentence
- Avoid buzzwords and overly promotional language
- Skip long press releases in the initial email
- Eliminate typos
- Never put subject lines or text in ALL CAPS
- Avoid anything clearly AI-generated
Across beats, reporters emphasized that human stories outperform corporate ones. Whether for broadcast, digital, or print, stories resonate most when they’re grounded in real people, real experiences, and real impact.
Providing access to customers, patients, employees, or community members — not just executives — can significantly increase the likelihood of coverage.
In terms of how to pitch? Email is still best. Follow-ups are encouraged, and phone calls are only if it’s timely, and you have a pre-existing relationship with the reporter. If you send them a DM on Instagram about a pitch, they’ll just redirect you to their email.
4. Press Releases Still Matter, but They Can’t be Your Pitch
Press releases aren’t dead, but their role has evolved.
Journalists agreed that releases are useful as background tools, not as standalone pitches. The most effective approach pairs a short, personalized email with a concise release attached for reference. Generally, the release should never exceed a page.
Panelists also agreed that generic executive quotes (“We’re excited to announce…”) are often the first thing cut from coverage — or are ignored entirely. Make sure the executive quotes sound human and add real value. Even better if you’re able to offer facetime with CEOs or the people that the press release announcement will impact.
Also, learn how to make your press releases more discoverable by AI searches with a few small tweaks to the traditional format.
5. Localize Your Outreach
For local and regional media especially, national announcements need a clear local tie. Journalists on the Colorado panel encouraged PR pros to proactively surface:
- Colorado-based employees or customers
- Local economic impact data
- Denver- or region-specific case studies
- Local experts who can comment on broader trends
When localization is done well, it saves reporters time and strengthens the story’s relevance to their audience.
6. Give the Journalists Access and Assets
With shrinking news cycles and constant publishing pressure, journalists stressed the value of being responsive and prepared.
Best practices include:
- Confirm source availability before pitching
- Provide same-day access to sources and executives whenever possible
- Include photos in the pitch, with proper usage rights, clear titles and credit
- Share accurate, ready-to-publish details (addresses, dates, spelling, titles)
- Know the deadlines and newsletter release timing of the reporters you’re pitching, and work around them
- Don’t try to control the process too much. When PR representatives overly police access to sources or the questions asked, the story may be dropped
- Share ideas for how the story would play on social media, lay out the different coverage paths
Small delays like unclear photo permissions or unavailable sources can sometimes be the difference between a story running or being dropped.
7. AI is a Tool, not a Replacement for Judgment
AI (of course) was a big topic of discussion. Some newsrooms are experimenting with it behind the scenes for transcription, proofing, data analysis or headline ideation. All reporters on the panel were trained, seasoned journalists. None felt comfortable using AI for writing their stories, and many were uneasy with their stories being fed into LLMs. For now, in Denver, we can rest assured that stories in local outlets are written by humans.
For PR pros using AI in outreach, beware. Journalists were unanimous on one point: AI-generated pitches are easy to spot and easy to ignore.
Authenticity, accuracy and human insight still matter most. AI can support organization and efficiency, but it can’t replace thoughtful storytelling or relationship-building.
Understand What Journalists Need in 2026
Despite evolving platforms, technologies, and newsroom structures, strong media relationships are still built on relevance, preparation and mutual respect.
For PR professionals, success in 2026 will hinge less on volume and more on value. Work to understand what journalists need, how they work, and how to help them tell stories that truly matter to their audiences. As the industry evolves, the PR pros who win will be the ones who deliver relevance, clarity, and truly helpful collaboration to the reporters they rely on.