Timing is Everything: The Best Time to Send a PR Pitch

For public relations professionals trying to capture journalists’ attention and score quality media coverage, having a great pitch isn’t always enough – when you pitch can also make or break your chances of securing coverage. Even the most compelling story might not get the media coverage it deserves if it hits a journalist’s inbox at the wrong moment.

Case in point: According to the 2025 State of the Media Report, based on a survey of 3,000+ journalists, most reporters say it’s not uncommon to receive a media pitch they’d like to cover, but can’t, due to factors like time constraints or the need to prioritize other stories.

While PR professionals can’t control the external obstacles that get in the way of media coverage, there are strategic steps you can take to refine the timeliness of your pitches and ensure they reach journalists’ inboxes when it matters most. Below, we’ll look at some data-backed best practices for refining the timeliness of your PR pitch for maximum impact.

Why Timing Your PR Pitch Right Matters

Relevance is currency

Journalists and editors are far more likely to respond to pitches that tap into current events, trending topics, or seasonal hooks. In fact, among the top ways journalists who participated in our 2025 State of the Media Report say PR teams provide value:

• “They provide relevant story ideas.”
• “They bring awareness to breaking news or trends that I can report on quickly.”

If you can connect your story to something already on their radar – or better yet, to something that might not be on their radar yet – and to something their audience likely cares about right now, the more likely they will be to cover it.

News cycles move fast

In many industries, the story you pitch today can be old news tomorrow. If your outreach lags, you risk missing the sweet spot when a journalist is actively looking for expert commentary or relevant examples. 

Competition is fierce

Half of journalists receive at least 50 pitches each week (1 in 5 say they receive over 100), so capturing journalists’ attention is an uphill battle. Landing coverage often comes down to whether you reached out before someone else with a similar (or even identical) angle.

Pitch Perfect: 8 Tips for Timing Your Media Outreach Right

1. Tap Into the News Cycle – and Be Ready to Act

Don’t just monitor the news; anticipate it. Use tools like Google Trends, media monitoring and social listening platforms, and custom news alerts to identify rising topics before they peak. This approach helps with two key pitching strategies:

• Newsjacking: Newsjacking requires fast action – consider all the brands that jumped on the recent Astronomer CEO/Colplay bandwagon, hoping to capitalize on the viral news story. If done well and in a way that is authentic for the brand, newsjacking can be a potential “quick win” to draw attention to the brand. 
• Expert analysis: By looking at cyclical trends, you can anticipate what’s ahead, which gives you an opportunity to pitch expert commentary around it. Not only do journalists appreciate when PR teams can offer quotes and interviews with industry experts – they explicitly ask for them, according to the State of the Media. And if journalists, who are constantly working against tight deadlines, can get ahead of a news story, even better. When you’re helping them do that, you’re building credibility for your brand and positioning it as a go-to source of authority.

Both approaches can help solidify your brand as an industry thought leader while simultaneously positioning yourself as a credible, reliable, and valuable resource they can go to time and again. 

2. Time to the Journalist’s Workflow

A great pitch sent at the wrong time is often a wasted opportunity. Learn the working rhythms of the journalists you’re targeting: For daily news reporters, for instance, early mornings tend to be best. For long-form or feature writers, your pitch might need to come weeks in advance of their deadlines.

Most outlets list their editorial calendars, so you can see when interest in specific topics are not only welcome, but sought after. Create a content calendar with key industry events or awareness days to align with the stories you want to tell about your brand. Pitch far enough in advance to be useful, but not so early that your email gets lost before the event rolls around. Matching your pitch delivery to journalists' schedules increases the likelihood they will actually read it. 

3. Know When NOT to Pitch

Keep in mind when journalists may be less responsive, such as right around the winter holiday season. If your pitch isn’t directly tied to the season, consider holding it until after the holidays, or taking advantage of slower news days or periods (such as the week between Christmas and New Year’s), when journalists are hungry for new content. If your pitch does have a seasonal tie-in, be sure to highlight what makes your product, announcement, or story different from the other seasonal pitches that are flooding journalists’ inboxes.

5. Match the Moment, Not Just the Message

Context is everything. Even a fantastic, creative idea can miss the mark if the timing is tone-deaf, such as pitching a playful consumer story in the middle of a serious national event. Stay alert to cultural and news priorities so you can pause, adapt, or reposition your outreach when needed.

6. Focus Not Just on the “Why” but the “Why Now” 

A strong story angle should clearly answer why the audience should care about the story – right now. To add a sense of urgency to your pitch, make sure it’s framed in a way that highlights your story’s relevance and impact on the audience at this moment in time. A great example of a brand that tied their marketing and PR campaign to a timely event: ASICS securing “Succession” star Brian Cox to act as “the world’s scariest boss” and urge audiences to take a desk break (where they would presumably “move with their ASICS” for World Mental Health Day.

7. Leverage Data and Research

Journalists who participated in our survey explicitly told us that the ideal pitch includes data, above all other factors (aside from relevance). Incorporating data like statistics or research that support your story's narrative adds credibility and newsworthiness to your pitch.

8. Use Embargoes and Exclusives Strategically

Embargoes can help ensure journalists have time to prepare coverage that lands at the perfect moment for your brand. They can also be good for coordinating coverage across different time zones, ensuring journalists across multiple regions can push a story live at the same time for maximum impact. Exclusives, meanwhile, can sweeten the deal – 57% of journalists told us that’s what they want most from PR professionals; however, they should be offered with the outlet’s schedule and audience needs in mind, not just your own launch date.

9. Follow Up – Mindfully

Most journalists get at least 50 pitches a week, so it’s easy for them to get lost in a sea of emails vying for journalists’ attention. That’s why 62% of journalists recommend following up with them once. When you do follow up, consider providing a new piece of information or another angle to the story – something new to catch their attention and entice them to cover your story.

The Best Times to Pitch by Media Type

Generally, the best time to send pitches are early week – Monday or Tuesday mornings will be when most journalists are planning their stories for the week – and during the morning hours – between 9 to 11 a.m. local time, when journalists are most likely to be checking their emails.

To make timing even more strategic, consider this quick-reference guide outlining the optimal outreach windows (in general) for daily news, weekly publications, monthly magazines, and emerging channels. 

PR Pitch Timing is a Skill and a Strategy 

Perfecting pitch timing takes more than guesswork. It requires ongoing media monitoring (traditional and social), a solid understanding of your target journalists’ habits, and the ability to connect your story to the conversations and events that matter most.

When your story, timing, and target align, your pitch becomes more than just another email in journalists’ inbox - it becomes an opportunity journalists can’t ignore.

Ready to put this advice into practice?

Find out how CisionOne’s all-in-one media intelligence platform can help your team: identify emerging trends and timely story angles; craft compelling pitches that speak to the moment; and uncover the best times to pitch and engage with journalists – all to help secure the coverage your brand deserves. See how it works, or speak to an expert today.