We discussed what determines whether that interest translates into an actual quote with Mike Ermolaev, founder of Outset PR, drawing on real examples from our Press Office work, including both successful campaigns and missed opportunities.
Why journalists pass on otherwise strong expert commentary
According to Mike, three factors largely determine whether a contribution makes it into a published story:
- Timing. Journalists work against tight editorial deadlines, often giving sources just two to three hours to respond to their requests. Sometimes the window is as short as 30-40 minutes. And even meeting the deadline doesn't guarantee inclusion: reporters contact multiple companies at once and may have already selected the comments they need by the time your response arrives. Evergreen stories typically offer more flexibility, with several days available to gather input.
- The spokesperson's credibility and expertise. Founders and C-level specialists with deep subject knowledge can all be valuable speakers. A marketing executive, however, is well suited to discussing customer acquisition but less compelling as a source for market analysis.
- Topic relevance. A company may have strong opinions on something, but if few outlets are interested in covering it, opportunities will be limited. The more actively a topic is discussed, the greater the potential demand for informed perspectives.
And that's just for expert commentary. Securing a standalone article, interview, or feature is even more demanding. An effective pitch needs more than an interesting company or a willing spokesperson: it must offer a newsworthy story, a clear editorial angle, and a convincing reason why the publication's audience should care about it now.
How Press Office identifies and creates media opportunities
Understanding these editorial constraints shapes how we approach media relations within Press Office. Our team operates in two directions, each designed to connect clients' expertise with the needs of newsrooms.
Reactive pitching relies on a network of more than 700 journalists and editors we've built over the years, including contacts at major international outlets. Through these relationships, we receive approximately 40-60 requests for expert commentary each week, spanning a wide range of topics. This allows our clients to contribute to stories already in development.
But we don't just wait for incoming requests. Our proactive pitching involves monitoring the news agenda, identifying topics where our clients can share meaningful insights, and delivering their perspectives to interested reporters. Rather than reaching out to our entire network, we typically select 40-100 relevant media outlets for each client based on their editorial focus and audience.
Two Press Office experiences: When approvals help or hinder media coverage
Both reactive and proactive outreach generate interest from journalists, but that's only part of the process. What happens next depends on how effectively the agency and the client work together.
StealthEX: How trust and fast approvals support media coverage
We've worked with StealthEX for over three years, establishing a streamlined flow of communication and approvals. This allows us to work with greater autonomy in identifying the right topics, developing editorial angles, and presenting the company's expertise to journalists.
One example of what Press Office can achieve with such collaboration is our thought leadership campaign for StealthEX CEO Maria Carola.
Over four weeks, the campaign resulted in:
- 4 proactive pitches targeting relevant editorial opportunities;
- 4 reactive expert commentaries responding to journalists' requests;
- 40 total publications and 92 syndications across nine regions.
Maria's insights appeared in top-tier outlets including The Independent, Forbes, Business Insider, Decrypt, Investing.com, and Kitco. All coverage was 100% earned.
Company under NDA: When slow approvals and limited speaker access hold PR back
When we started working with Press Office, the company had two main points of contact. One was based in Asia, meaning many journalist requests arrived outside their working hours. The other was in Europe but often checked messages only once a day. As a result, incoming opportunities regularly went unanswered.
Spokesperson access was another obstacle. The company mainly communicated its expertise through its head of marketing, while securing the CEO's approval took around three business days – far too long for time-sensitive requests. Consequently, some approved comments failed to secure coverage because the spokesperson wasn't the right fit for the story.
Despite these constraints, the campaign still secured some coverage in publications including CoinDesk, Cointelegraph, Decrypt, and Sherwood News.
How to prevent internal bottlenecks from costing you media coverage
The difference between these two experiences comes down in part to how prepared a company is to respond when needed. There are several ways to make organizational matters work around editorial deadlines:
- Give your PR team direct access to the spokesperson. Ideally, the expert contributing commentary should be part of the working conversation. If that's not possible, appoint someone authorized to approve materials without passing every request through multiple intermediaries.
- Agree on topics before the campaign starts. During the initial briefing, identify three to five subjects the spokesperson is comfortable discussing, along with any topics they prefer to avoid. This gives the PR team a clear framework for evaluating incoming requests without seeking approval for every proposed angle from scratch.
- Make feedback specific and actionable. If a comment needs revisions, explain whether the issue lies in the argument, factual details, tone, or positioning. Clear feedback allows the team to make targeted changes instead of spending time guessing what needs to be rewritten.
- Adapt the media strategy when approvals can’t be accelerated. Companies with complex decision-making structures can prioritize evergreen topics and journalist requests with longer deadlines without relying on the rapid turnaround required for breaking news commentary.
The goal of these recommendations isn't to eliminate necessary approvals, but to make sure the process aligns with the timelines and expectations of the journalists the company wants to reach.
Is your brand ready to make the most of Press Office?
Where to start also depends on how established a company and its spokespeople are in the media.
For brands with a long-standing media presence, the priority is to put that foundation to work. If your executives are already recognized as credible voices in their industry, there's little reason to wait for a big product launch or the perfect news hook. Their knowledge and perspectives can add value to stories already being covered by newsrooms.
For newer or less visible companies, the first step is earning that credibility. Journalists always research potential sources before including their comments, and a spokesperson with virtually no public footprint is a much harder sell. Interviews, contributions to industry publications, and organic mentions can help build a track record before approaching larger outlets.
Ultimately, an effective Press Office strategy should reflect not just where a company wants to appear, but how ready its spokespeople are to contribute to the editorial conversation. If you're unsure where your company stands, we can help you identify the right starting point and establish a workflow that enables your Press Office to consistently secure media coverage.
