How to Write Email Subject Lines Journalists Actually Open
How journalists really decide which emails to open
I’ve had the great privilege of being a general reporter, dabbling in consumer affairs, transport and now covering the environment and politics. You can only imagine what is happening in my inbox every day. All beats have a policy slant and it’s good business being green. Now, bring in all the press release lists I’m on that were once relevant but slightly less so now. I receive HUNDREDS of emails a day. Here’s another fun little fact about me - I strive for “inbox zero”. It’s a rigorous approach to email management that aims to keep my inbox devoid of unread messages... or almost. I’m technically currently on inbox four.
I know most journalists tend to have thousands of unread emails, so that’s what comms pros are up against... a wave of never ending things for reporters to open. I’m pleased to report that I’ve become frighteningly efficient at spotting what’s relevant and what belongs straight in the digital bin. I am ruthless with that. I sometimes decide in a second whether I’m opening a pitch or if I’m heading for the bin button.
Inbox five.
So, today we’re diving into the art of the subject line... but before we get there, I want to share the very first thing I notice when an email lands in my inbox. You get zero points for guessing it: the sender. Relationships are at the heart of every pitch, and if I recognise the organisation or person hitting “send,” I’m instantly more likely to open the email.
Let’s dive into my deleted folder. Here’s an example of subject lines I didn’t open and instantly consigned to the trash. (*All have been tweaked slightly because I’m not out here to bash people’s work).
Beauty Brew: meet the latest gut-friendly elixir
Two regional cases among key highlights at upcoming Food Safety Forum
Press Release: By 2047, treated used water could open up a multi-billion-dollar opportunity and generate more than 1 lakh jobs, according to a new study
Top contenders for this year’s football honours revealed
These are mostly things that are completely irrelevant to my beats.
So, let’s head back to my inbox to pitches I opened and didn’t delete. Here are some examples of those:
PITCH: Exclusive feature with [FAMOUS CELEBRITY]
Invitation to [WELL KNOWN BRAND’S] comms event next week
00.01 SUNDAY: Nature not a “blocker” to housing delivery, MPs find in new report
[EMBARGOED] Urgent action needed by retailers to prevent further environmental destruction
Councils warn SEND system faces total collapse without major reform to services
So, how do you write a good subject line... specifically if you can’t depend on name recognition? These are some of my top tips:
Lead with a news hook, not a brand. Open with the reason people should care about the story. What impact will it have? Lead with the “why”. Who is affected? What changes? What’s urgent?
Think in terms of website headlines. Try to write the subject line as what you imagine the headline might be on a publication’s website. As an example, instead of “Report on pensions released”, you could try “Pensions report reveals unexpected winners and losers.”
Lead with the words “exclusive”, “op-ed”, “operational note”, “embargoed” or “invitation”. This is personal preference but it means I already know what’s on offer before I open the email. If it’s an immediate release, I don’t think you need to spell that out. Definitely don’t open with “PRESS RELEASE’.
Front-load the most important word(s). You can also consider starting with the key topic word journalists will immediately recognise. So, instead of saying something like “Press release on city transport plan unveiled”, you could try “City transport plan: What it means for commuters”
Use keywords you think a journalist might look for in future. I often use my inbox as a search tool. This means that six months from now, I might be on the lookout for people who have reacted to something previously for a piece I’m working on. It’s helpful to get those words in the subject line (but don’t shove it in there if it isn’t working). So, consider using things like “planning and infrastructure bill”, “inheritance tax” or “pensions” if you know these are key words the reporter you’re pitching to has used.
Ideal email length six to 10 words. It can be short and sweet like “Background briefing on asylum policy statement”. Anything longer than 10 words risks being less impactful and unnecessarily wordy.
Don’t write subject lines in all caps. It’s easier to read if it’s written normally, in small letters and only capitalising words when needed.
Consider the mobile inbox experience. Some journalists will be scouring emails on their phones so shorter subject lines for that set up may work in your favour. So, possibly ensure the key topic or news hook appears in the first 5 words to ensure it will show on mobile.
Emphasise urgency and timing where relevant. You can signal immediacy with words like “today” “this week” or “ahead of [event].”
Avoid jargon unless your audience expects it. Words like C-suite, KPIs, ROIs aren’t the right words to be using in a subject line for my beats - but it could absolutely be spot on for some journalists. So this will require your judgement.
Use active language. Active verbs make subject lines punchier and more immediate. As an example, instead of “AI ethics report published”, you could use “AI ethics report reveals the rule everyone’s now breaking”.
Remember folks, keep this just between us! We’re off the record.
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