Propel releases research about media relations during pandemic

We released research today that shows the effects of the current global pandemic on media relations in the United States. The data reveals that the volume of pitches sent to journalists has increased, while the engagement by journalists with such pitches has remained stable.

In April, a U.S.-based PR professional sent an average of 16 pitches per day to journalists, as compared to 14 in March. In February, the daily average number of pitches sent was 13, and in January it was 10. This indicates that PR practitioners in America have been sending more pitches during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Journalists opened 47% of pitches in April, compared to 45% in March, 51% in February and 46% in January. In terms of responsiveness, 8% of pitches sent in April received a reply, which was the same in March. In February, 10% of pitches sent received a reply, while in January the figure was 9%.

“The pitch volume increase in April and March may indicate a rise in creative story ideas around COVID-19, or crisis management related pitches. The slightly lower but relatively equal open and response rates are likely due to journalists adjusting to remote work,” said Propel co-founder and CEO Zach Cutler. “Overall, these numbers are very encouraging. Media relations is clearly alive and kicking despite the pandemic.”

The study is based on tens of thousands of pitches sent by over 100 U.S.-based PR professionals in 2020.

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