Top 10
- Journalists responded to 3.43% of the PR pitches they received in Q1 2024, based on about 400,000 pitches sent through Propel.
- The 10 largest newsrooms on file hold 12.3% of the 127,602 journalist profiles, and the 300 largest hold 53.0%; the other 8,500 outlets share the rest.
- 72% of journalists say fewer than a quarter of the pitches they receive are relevant to them.
- 66% of journalists rely on content from PR people, such as press releases, pitches and media kits, for story ideas.
- Only 24.9% of the 127,602 journalists on file name a beat in their job title.
- Public relations specialists held about 314,500 jobs in the United States in 2025.
- 69% of journalists prefer pitches under 200 words.
- When a university press release exaggerated health advice, 58% of the news stories about it did too, against 17% when the press release did not.
- Only 33% of 507 medical university press releases were covered by the news media.
- Editors outnumber reporters on file: 42.7% of 127,602 journalist profiles carry an editor title and 36.1% a reporter title.
How many pitches get a response
- 1
Journalists responded to 3.43% of the PR pitches they received in Q1 2024, based on about 400,000 pitches sent through Propel.
Source: Propel data, reported by Everything-PR Research, 2024 [1]
- 2
Pitches under 150 words got a 5.89% response rate in Propel's Q1 2024 data; pitches over 500 words got 1.46%.
Source: Propel data, reported by Everything-PR Research, 2024 [1]
- 3
Journalists opened 49.14% of the 485,722 pitches sent through Propel in Q2 2023 and responded to 2.99%.
Source: Propel, Q3 2023 Media Barometer, 2023 [2]
- 4
About 66% of journalist responses to pitches came the same day the pitch arrived.
Source: Propel, Q3 2023 Media Barometer, 2023 [2]
- 5
68.31% of articles that came from pitches were published within 7 days of the first pitch.
Source: Propel, Q3 2023 Media Barometer, 2023 [2]
- 6
Tuesday drew the most journalist responses of any weekday, 27.73% of all responses.
Source: Propel, Q3 2023 Media Barometer, 2023 [2]
- 7
Journalists responded to 16.59% of podcast-related pitches in Q2 2023, several times the average for all pitches.
Source: Propel, Q3 2023 Media Barometer, 2023 [2]
Why journalists ignore pitches
- 8
72% of journalists say fewer than a quarter of the pitches they receive are relevant to them.
Source: Cision, 2026 State of the Media Report, 2026 [3]
- 9
86% of journalists say they immediately reject a pitch that does not fit their beat or audience.
Source: Cision, 2025 State of the Media Report, 2025 [4]
- 10
88% of journalists immediately disregard pitches that miss their beat.
Source: Muck Rack, State of Journalism 2026, 2026 [5]
- 11
43% of journalists say it is rare to get a pitch relevant to their beat.
Source: Muck Rack, State of Journalism 2026, reported by University of Minnesota University Relations, 2026 [6]
- 12
78% of journalists say a pitch feels relevant when it directly affects the community their audience belongs to.
Source: Muck Rack, State of Journalism 2026, 2026 [5]
- 13
In a pitch, journalists value relevance to their beat most (70%), then access to sources for interviews (58%), original data or research (40%) and high-resolution images (37%).
Source: Muck Rack, State of Journalism 2026, reported by University of Minnesota University Relations, 2026 [6]
How much journalists rely on PR
- 14
66% of journalists rely on content from PR people, such as press releases, pitches and media kits, for story ideas.
Source: Cision, 2026 State of the Media Report, 2026 [3]
- 15
86% of journalists say at least some of their stories start with a PR pitch.
Source: Muck Rack, State of Journalism 2026, 2026 [5]
- 16
72% of journalists name press releases as the most useful thing PR teams can offer them.
Source: Cision, 2025 State of the Media Report, 2025 [4]
- 17
49% of journalists name shrinking budgets, staff cuts and heavier workloads as their biggest obstacle.
Source: Cision, 2026 State of the Media Report, 2026 [3]
- 18
92% of journalists either pitch their own stories or decide on their own which stories they pursue.
Source: Muck Rack, State of Journalism 2025, reported by PR News, 2025 [7]
When and how journalists want to be pitched
- 19
62% of journalists prefer to be pitched by email.
Source: Muck Rack, State of Journalism 2025, reported by PR News, 2025 [7]
- 20
69% of journalists prefer pitches under 200 words.
Source: Muck Rack, State of Journalism 2025, reported by PR News, 2025 [7]
- 21
78% of journalists want to receive pitches before noon.
Source: Muck Rack, State of Journalism 2025, reported by PR News, 2025 [7]
- 22
50% of journalists say one follow-up is fine, ideally three to seven days after the first email.
Source: Muck Rack, State of Journalism 2025, reported by PR News, 2025 [7]
- 23
Half of journalists do not care which day they are pitched; 18% prefer Monday.
Source: Muck Rack, State of Journalism 2026, reported by University of Minnesota University Relations, 2026 [6]
- 24
85% of journalists say the best way to start a relationship is to introduce yourself by email, even without a story to pitch.
Source: Cision, 2025 State of the Media Report, 2025 [4]
- 25
62% of journalists use LinkedIn for work, and 33% rank it as the single most valuable platform for their work.
Source: Cision, 2026 State of the Media Report, 2026 [3]
- 26
53% of journalists oppose AI-generated pitches, citing accuracy and personalisation.
Source: Cision, 2026 State of the Media Report, 2026 [3]
Who there is to pitch: 127,602 journalist job titles
- 27
Only 24.9% of the 127,602 journalists on file name a beat in their job title.
- 28
Sports is the beat most often named in journalist job titles (6,533), ahead of politics (3,709) and business (3,138); technology has 1,184, AI 331 and immigration 93.
Source: JournalistLabs · count of September 15, 2026 · 127,602 editorial profiles
- 29
Editors outnumber reporters on file: 42.7% of 127,602 journalist profiles carry an editor title and 36.1% a reporter title.
- 30
The 10 largest newsrooms on file hold 12.3% of the 127,602 journalist profiles, and the 300 largest hold 53.0%; the other 8,500 outlets share the rest.
What studies of press releases found
- 31
Only 33% of 507 medical university press releases were covered by the news media.
Source: PLOS ONE, 2019 [8]
- 32
Of 240 clinical trials presented at major medical conferences, 68 (28.3%) got a press release and 82 (34.2%) were covered by the media.
Source: BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine, 2023 [9]
- 33
Three sources, the journal's press release, a BBC News story and an NHS Choices story, accounted for the content of over 85% of UK news stories on one processed-meat study.
Source: PLOS ONE, 2015 [10]
- 34
99.1% of UK health press releases contain at least one quote, and 88.6% of the news articles based on them do.
Source: Wellcome Open Research, 2019 [11]
- 35
40% of health press releases from 20 UK universities contained exaggerated advice, 33% exaggerated causal claims and 36% exaggerated inference to humans from animal research.
Source: The BMJ, 2014 [12]
- 36
When a university press release exaggerated health advice, 58% of the news stories about it did too, against 17% when the press release did not.
Source: The BMJ, 2014 [12]
- 37
In a randomised trial with nine UK press offices, news headlines matched the evidence 56% of the time when the press release was assigned to match it, against 52% when it was not; when press offices actually followed the assigned version, the figures were 60% and 32%.
Source: BMC Medicine, 2019 [13]
- 38
22% of health press releases made exaggerated causal claims from correlational findings in observational studies.
Source: Proceedings of COLING 2020, 2020 [14]
- 39
Overstatements in UK university health press releases fell from 28% in 2014 to 13% in 2015, after a widely publicised study of exaggeration in health news.
Source: Wellcome Open Research, 2020 [15]
- 40
Study funding was mentioned in 94% of journal articles, 29% of their press releases and 9% of the news stories that followed (2011 cohort).
Source: BMJ Open, 2021 [16]
- 41
News stories mentioned study funding 22% of the time when the press release did, and 7% of the time when it did not (2011 cohort).
Source: BMJ Open, 2021 [16]
How many people work in PR
- 42
Public relations specialists held about 314,500 jobs in the United States in 2025.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2026 [17]
- 43
News analysts, reporters and journalists held about 47,100 jobs in the United States in 2025.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2026 [18]
- 44
BLS projects that employment of public relations specialists will grow 2% from 2025 to 2035, with about 23,000 openings a year.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2026 [17]
- 45
The median annual wage for U.S. public relations specialists was $74,750 in May 2025.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2026 [17]
- 46
84% of PR professionals say media relations takes up at least a quarter of their job.
Source: Muck Rack, State of PR 2026, reported by Double Forte, 2026 [19]
- 47
Nearly 70% of PR professionals say producing measurable results is the most effective way to show PR's value to clients and company leadership.
Source: Muck Rack, State of PR 2026, reported by Double Forte, 2026 [19]
Frequently asked questions
What is the average response rate to a PR pitch?
About 3%. Propel's data on about 400,000 pitches sent in Q1 2024 puts it at 3.43%, and 2.99% for the 485,722 pitches sent through Propel in Q2 2023. Pitches under 150 words got 5.89%, and pitches over 500 words 1.46%.
Why do journalists ignore pitches?
Mostly because the pitch does not fit what they cover. 72% of journalists in Cision's 2026 survey say fewer than a quarter of the pitches they get are relevant, and 88% in Muck Rack's 2026 survey immediately disregard pitches that miss their beat.
Do journalists still use press releases?
Yes. 72% of journalists in Cision's 2025 survey named press releases as the most useful thing PR teams offer, and 66% in the 2026 survey rely on PR content for story ideas. Studies of health news find the same pattern: when a university press release exaggerated advice, 58% of the news stories did too.
How long should a pitch be and when should I send it?
69% of journalists prefer pitches under 200 words and 78% want them before noon, according to Muck Rack's 2025 survey. 50% say one follow-up is fine, three to seven days after the first email.
How many PR people are there for every journalist?
About 6.7 in the United States. The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts about 314,500 public relations specialist jobs in 2025 on its page for that occupation, and about 47,100 news analyst, reporter and journalist jobs on its page for journalists.
How many journalists cover a given beat?
Fewer than a job-title search suggests. Only 24.9% of the 127,602 journalists in the JournalistLabs count name a beat in their title. Sports is the largest titled beat with 6,533 profiles; AI has 331.
Sources
- [1]Propel data, reported by Everything-PR Research. “EPR Research: The PR Pitch Response Rate Study 2026”. 2024.↑1 ↑2
- [2]Propel, Q3 2023 Media Barometer. “The Q3 2023 Propel Media Barometer”. 2023.↑3 ↑4 ↑5 ↑6 ↑7
- [3]Cision, 2026 State of the Media Report. “PR emerges as the primary source for journalists in high-pressure newsrooms”. 2026.↑8 ↑14 ↑17 ↑25 ↑26
- [4]Cision, 2025 State of the Media Report. “Cision's 2025 State of the Media Report reveals a tipping point for trust, technology and PR-journalist partnerships”. 2025.↑9 ↑16 ↑24
- [5]Muck Rack, State of Journalism 2026. “Muck Rack's 2026 State of Journalism Report Finds 82% of Journalists Use AI”. 2026.↑10 ↑12 ↑15
- [6]Muck Rack, State of Journalism 2026, reported by University of Minnesota University Relations. “Pitching journalists: Muck Rack's State of Journalism 2026”. 2026.↑11 ↑13 ↑23
- [7]Muck Rack, State of Journalism 2025, reported by PR News. “The State of Journalism in 2025: insights to optimize your media relations”. 2025.↑18 ↑19 ↑20 ↑21 ↑22
- [8]PLOS ONE. “The association between quality measures of medical university press releases and their corresponding news stories”. 2019.↑31
- [9]BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine. “Consistency between trials presented at conferences, their subsequent publications and press releases”. 2023.↑32
- [10]PLOS ONE. “When Medical News Comes from Press Releases: A Case Study of Pancreatic Cancer and Processed Meat”. 2015.↑33
- [11]Wellcome Open Research. “Expert quotes and exaggeration in health news: a retrospective quantitative content analysis”. 2019.↑34
- [12]The BMJ. “The association between exaggeration in health related science news and academic press releases: retrospective observational study”. 2014.↑35 ↑36
- [13]BMC Medicine. “Claims of causality in health news: a randomised trial”. 2019.↑37
- [14]Proceedings of COLING 2020. “Measuring Correlation-to-Causation Exaggeration in Press Releases”. 2020.↑38
- [15]Wellcome Open Research. “Causal overstatements reduced in press releases following academic study of health news”. 2020.↑39
- [16]BMJ Open. “Disclosure of study funding and author conflicts of interest in press releases and the news”. 2021.↑40 ↑41
- [17]U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook. “Public Relations Specialists”. 2026.↑42 ↑44 ↑45
- [18]U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook. “News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists”. 2026.↑43
- [19]Muck Rack, State of PR 2026, reported by Double Forte. “Five takeaways from Muck Rack's 2026 State of PR report”. 2026.↑46 ↑47
Method
We searched Google for PR pitching statistics, media pitching statistics, how many pitches do journalists get and PR statistics, read the 25 pages that ranked, and counted how many of them repeat each number. We traced each number to the organisation that produced it and checked it against that organisation's page on September 24, 2026. Numbers on those pages that named no survey or dataset were left out. We also searched OpenAlex and Europe PMC for journal papers on press releases and news coverage; most of the papers with numbers study health and science press releases, so those results describe that field. Response rates come from Propel, a PR software company, and cover pitches sent through its product. Where we read a survey through another site's summary (Muck Rack through PR News, the University of Minnesota and Double Forte; Propel through Everything-PR), the source says so. The JournalistLabs numbers count job titles on public professional profiles at media outlets, fetched July to September 2026.
All 47 statistics as a CSV: pr-pitching-statistics.csv.
Cite this page
JournalistLabs, “PR Pitching 2026 Statistics (Updated September)”, updated September 2026, https://journalistlabs.com/research/pr-pitching-statistics/
To cite one number, link its anchor: each statistic has one, for example https://journalistlabs.com/research/pr-pitching-statistics/#stat-1.