What the Associated Press's Press Freedom Week Taught Us About Pitching in the 2026 Media Landscape: What Works, What Needs to Change & What Journalists Want Now
- editorial team
- May 7
- 3 min read
By: Editorial Team, Keirah Chen
The Associated Press just wrapped Press Freedom Week, and if you work in media — or rely on it — you needed to be in that room. Four days. Industry leaders, executive editors, journalists from some of the biggest newsrooms in the country. All talking openly about what's working, what's broken, and what the press needs to survive right now. MMM attended every session. Here's what we learned..
Coming with Receipts – New Way to Pitch Investigative Stories
One of the most sobering realities was the reality that investigative journalism may be dying. It is getting more and more difficult to execute. With massive cuts, newsrooms are dealing with less resources and staff and increased legal hurdles. However, we often pitch major stories exploring false incarceration, medical misjustice and malpractice and policy failures so this reduction in investigative coverage matters hugely for our audience.
In their heyday, investigative reporters would spend all day (for several days or weeks) chasing a story. It's expensive work at the cost of publishing shorter stories that could get clicks, but worthwhile because without it you never have the major hard-hitting news people need. Then, investigative stories would take months... but now, many are taking years as reporters balance these with several other stories. We now put all research at the front of the pitches– showing proof of injustice that the reporter can investigate instead of a general issue. Essentially, do not just pitch a problem, show the journalist you have a clear path to the data and research and you have compiled all of the work. Bonus: Having people who will speak on record, one of the hardest parts of major investigative work. Journalists want to be able to walk into a story teed up for them so they can get started faster. Who are the players they can call up right now? What is the data they can ask an expert about?
The more detailed and planned out the path is, the more likely a newsroom is to listen– and the faster they can execute on covering it.
The Bandwidth Crisis – Planning for Less Time, Less Availability
Journalists across the board have expressed feeling stress as they face more danger but endure less support in today’s world. There is now zero bandwidth for ambiguity. A journalist who feels like they are on thinner ice will be much less likely to take on an ambiguous story. So pitches need to be bullet-proof and planned for their actual audience. Every idea we send out is fully thought out with clear impact, sources, and immediate relevance. We also clarify how and why the journalist’s limited energy should be spent on you, the client– (typically through the form of impact on their audience).
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Creativity is the Most Valuable Currency – Be Unique
Because of mass layoffs, journalists are more miserable than ever. In a sea of news that is more grim and depressing, it's critical to come up with a story that is impactful but also fun and creative to stand out immediately. Some ideas: allow the reporter to try your product (food tastings, fashion shows with your new line or a tour/walk-along), put on a demonstration for a live morning show audience, or bring them to a new space and use the background/setting as a character (skyline, place you originated, etc). Journalists want to stand out for their work too and so pitching them unique and creative work allows them to pursue the kind of work many are seeking.
Look for the media joy in your brand. What brings you delight and happiness about this work? Share from that lens so others can experience the same.
At MMM, we are finding ways to pitch your idea so it comes off as a breath of fresh air for the editor. Being creative and understanding how tired journalists are may be the difference between an ignored email and front page story. And also takes into account how the audience will respond.
The Associated Press Press Freedom Week was a necessary space to hear directly from major leaders. Among some of the speakers? LA Times executive leadership, ProPublica and many more. We only wish there was more space to interact and meet others in the room.
At MMM, we stay in these industry spaces and learn as much as we can so we can carry this expertise back to our team and clients. Understanding the current fragility of the press allows us to navigate it successfully. And ensure our pitches are not only picked up but turned into stories with real impact.
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