Media Relations
Plan reporter outreach—story prep, journalist targeting, exclusive pitches, and ongoing relationships—to earn press beyond a launch blast.
Overview
media-relations is an agent skill most often used in Launch (also Grow, Validate) that coaches solo builders through journalist research, exclusive pitches, and sustained press relationships.
Install
npx skills add https://github.com/refoundai/lenny-skills --skill media-relationsWhat is this skill?
- Three-step outreach frame: prep, who to pitch, then the pitch (Jason Feifer)
- Exclusive-offer strategy with staggered timing (Emilie Gerber)
- Clarifies coverage type—launch, thought leadership, or feature—before writing angles
- Newsworthy angle coaching so pitches are not pure promotion
- Grounded in insights from 2 product-leader guests (2 mentions in source pack)
- 2 guest sources
- 2 mentions in the compiled insight pack
- 3-step pitch framework: prep, who to pitch, actual pitch
Adoption & trust: 1.2k installs on skills.sh; 1k GitHub stars; 3/3 security scanners passed (skills.sh audits); trending (+100% hot-view momentum).
What problem does it solve?
You want press coverage but only have a promotional blurb and no system for prepping stories, picking reporters, or offering worthwhile exclusives.
Who is it for?
Founders preparing a launch announcement, milestone story, or thought-leadership push who can invest time in reporter-specific outreach.
Skip if: Teams seeking paid ads, pure SEO page optimization, or coverage without any product news or credible angle.
When should I use this skill?
User is pitching reporters, preparing media outreach, trying to get press coverage, or managing journalist relationships.
What do I get? / Deliverables
You leave with a clarified coverage goal, a sharper newsworthy angle, a targeted pitch plan, and relationship practices aligned with working journalists.
- Coverage goal and angle brief
- Reporter targeting and pitch outline
- Exclusive/stagger strategy recommendations
Recommended Skills
Journey fit
Spans multiple journey phases - primary shelf plus alternate fits below.
Canonical shelf is Launch because earned media is a primary distribution motion when you are trying to get found; prep often starts earlier but pitching lands at go-to-market. Distribution subphase captures pitching, exclusives, and press relationships rather than on-page SEO or app-store mechanics.
Where it fits
Stress-test whether the product narrative is newsworthy enough to warrant a launch-week exclusive.
Build a reporter short list and stagger exclusive offers for a ship announcement.
Maintain warm journalist relationships after launch for feature or thought-leadership pieces.
How it compares
Relationship-first press workflow—use instead of generic launch copy skills when the bottleneck is who to pitch and how to earn journalist trust.
Common Questions / FAQ
Who is media-relations for?
Solo builders and small teams who need to pitch journalists, land exclusives, or maintain press relationships without a PR agency.
When should I use media-relations?
Use it at Launch distribution when planning outreach; during Validate scoping to test whether your story is newsworthy; and in Grow content cycles when nurturing ongoing reporter relationships.
Is media-relations safe to install?
It is advisory content with no runtime permissions; review the Security Audits panel on this Prism page like any third-party skill pack.
SKILL.md
READMESKILL.md - Media Relations
# Media Relations - All Guest Insights *2 guests, 2 mentions* --- ## Emilie Gerber *Emilie Gerber* > "I stagger it because we're offering exclusives, and I highly recommend offering exclusives." **Insight:** The transcript provides extensive tactical advice on managing reporter relationships, offering exclusives, and navigating the media landscape that goes beyond general 'Launch Marketing' or 'Positionin ## Jason Feifer *Jason Feifer* > "Step one is prep... Step two is figuring out who to pitch... Step three is the actual pitch." **Insight:** The transcript provides a comprehensive framework for identifying, pitching, and managing relationships with journalists and freelancers, which is a distinct professional skill set from general market --- name: media-relations description: Help users build relationships with journalists and get press coverage. Use when someone is pitching reporters, preparing for media outreach, trying to get press coverage, or managing ongoing journalist relationships. --- # Media Relations Help the user build effective relationships with journalists and secure press coverage using insights from 2 product leaders. ## How to Help When the user asks for help with media relations: 1. **Understand their goal** - Ask what kind of coverage they're seeking (launch announcement, thought leadership, feature story) and what stage they're at 2. **Prepare the story** - Help them craft a compelling angle that's newsworthy, not just promotional 3. **Identify the right targets** - Guide them on finding the right reporters and publications for their story 4. **Execute the pitch** - Help them write effective pitches and manage the outreach process ## Core Principles ### Offer exclusives, pitched one at a time Emilie Gerber: "I stagger it because we're offering exclusives, and I highly recommend offering exclusives." Don't blast your story to every reporter simultaneously. Offer an exclusive to your top target, wait for their response, then move to the next. ### Follow the prep-target-pitch framework Jason Feifer: "Step one is prep... Step two is figuring out who to pitch... Step three is the actual pitch." Preparation means having your story, angles, and assets ready. Targeting means finding reporters who actually cover your space. Pitching means concise, relevant outreach. ### Build relationships before you need them The best media relationships are built over time, not when you need coverage. Engage with journalists' work, provide helpful information even when you don't have news, and become a trusted source. ### Think about what's interesting to readers, not you Reporters care about their readers, not your company. Frame your story around trends, problems, or insights that their audience cares about. Your product is the supporting detail, not the headline. ## Questions to Help Users - "What's the angle that makes this newsworthy beyond just being your announcement?" - "Who are the specific reporters who cover companies like yours? Have you read their recent work?" - "Do you have assets ready - images, quotes, data - that make the reporter's job easier?" - "Are you offering this as an exclusive? Who's your top target outlet?" - "What's your timeline? Do you have flexibility to work with the reporter's schedule?" ## Common Mistakes to Flag - **Mass pitching** - Sending the same pitch to dozens of reporters signals you don't understand how press works. Pitch one at a time with exclusives - **Leading with the company, not the story** - Reporters don't care about your funding or launch. They care about what's interesting to their readers - **Rigid timelines** - Prioritize getting the right coverage over hitting an arbitrary date. Be flexible with reporter schedules - **No preparation** - Having to scramble for images, quotes, or details after a reporter expresses interest signals you're not ready ## Deep Dive For all 2 insights from 2 guests, see `references/guest-insights.md` ## Related Skil