Part 1 of 3 · The Media Relations Playbook Series
What Is Startup Media Relations? (And Why It Matters for Fundraising)
PR STRATEGY
Start Me Up PR Inc.
March 2026
- 84% of stories start with a PR pitch — but only 3.43% of pitches get a response
- Media relations, PR, and marketing are not the same thing
- Press coverage directly impacts fundraising, talent, and customer trust
- The media landscape has fewer reporters — and more noise than ever
This is Part 1 of the Media Relations Playbook — covering what media relations actually is, why it matters for your cap table, and how it is different from PR and marketing. Part 2 is the stage-by-stage strategy. Part 3 is building relationships beyond pitching and measuring ROI.
The Gap
84% vs. 3.43%
Journalists who say stories often or always start with a PR pitch
84%
Pitches that actually get a response
3.43%
Journalists who immediately reject pitches not aligned with their beat
86%
Sources: Cision 2025 State of the Media
The gap between those first two numbers is where most startup PR efforts die.
Section 01
Media Relations vs. PR vs. Marketing
These three terms get used interchangeably. They should not.
01
Media Relations
Building direct relationships with journalists, editors, and content creators to earn coverage — not buy it. You do not pay for placement. You earn it by telling a story worth telling.
Goal: Earned coverage
02
PR
Media relations plus events, crisis communications, and thought leadership. A broader discipline that encompasses your media work.
Goal: Public perception and trust
03
Marketing
Ads, content, SEO, social media. Paid and owned channels. Distinct from earned media entirely.
Goal: Revenue and demand generation
Media relations is one piece of PR. PR is one piece of your overall communications strategy. Most startups mash them together and end up doing none of them well.
Section 02
Why Startups Get Media Relations Wrong
86% of journalists immediately reject pitches not aligned with their beat. That is not pickiness — it is survival. Reporters covering climate tech do not want your fintech pitch.
From the Newsroom
“A founder writes a pitch about their product. They stuff it with jargon. They send it to 200 people. They wonder why nobody responds. The problem is not that journalists do not care about startups. It is that founders treat media relations like advertising — broadcast widely, hope something sticks.”
Startup media relations starts with a simple question most founders skip: who specifically covers this topic, and what have they written about it recently?
Section 03
Why This Matters for Fundraising
+26%
Media coverage increase after VC funding
+24%
Positive press rise in the same post-funding period
77%
VCs who actively work to raise portfolio company profiles
70%
VCs focused on niche and industry-specific outlets — not national newspapers
Source: Harvard Business School, Brian Baik, 2025
When you are fantasizing about landing in the New York Times, your investors actually care more about getting you into the publication your customers read.
Independent journalist-driven coverage is more influential than press releases for attracting talent. The right coverage matters more than the volume of coverage.
HBS, 2025
Section 04
The Post-Layoff Media Landscape
3,444
Journalism jobs cut in the US and UK in 2025
300+
Washington Post journalists cut in February 2026 alone
1 in 3
Journalists now self-publishing via Substacks and newsletters
Sources: Press Gazette · Muck Rack, 2025
Fewer reporters means your pitch competes with more noise. But it also means reporters desperately need well-crafted, ready-to-publish stories. The pitch target list is wider than it has ever been — if you know where to look.
Independent journalist-driven coverage is more influential than press releases for attracting talent. The right coverage matters more than the volume of coverage.
HBS, 2025
Continue Reading: The Media Relations Playbook Series
part 1
What Media Relations Is and Why It Matters for Fundraising ← you are here
START ME UP PR INC.
Founded in 2021 by Theresa Tayler, the agency breaks away from traditional PR conventions by championing raw, unfiltered storytelling that helps brands own their voice unapologetically. With a three-tiered service structure — from self-service digital tools to full-scale PR strategy — Start Me Up PR meets you where you are and grows with you.
The firm blends time-tested media relations with cutting-edge, AI-driven tools, because good PR isn’t about fitting a mold. It’s about breaking it. Whether you’re launching, scaling, or disrupting, Start Me Up PR crafts multifaceted storytelling strategies that build real brand presence across paid, owned, and earned media.