Getting media attention usually isn’t about one big announcement, a funding round, or the perfect pitch. Strong PR is built over time, through people, visibility, and real relationships.
In November, we talked exactly about that with Mimi Billing, Europe Editor at Sifted, who joined our CEO Anna Brchisky for an open conversation about what actually gets journalists interested.
Here are three things that really stood out from our session with Mimi.
1. It’s rarely the company that’s interesting – it’s the people
One of Mimi’s clearest points was that journalists care far more about people than companies. Products and funding rounds might open the door, but they’re rarely the reason a story sticks. What makes a story travel is the human context behind it.
Founders and their background, motivation, values, and behaviour matter and shape how a company is seen. The question is less “what does this company do?” and more “who’s behind it and why should we care?”
This also explains why many early-stage startups struggle to get coverage. From a journalist’s perspective, a small funding round or a minor product update is rarely enough on its own. Without a compelling founder story or a broader narrative, there’s often no clear reason to write.
That said, name recognition and track record do help. Well-known founders, repeat entrepreneurs, or people already visible in the ecosystem naturally spark more interest. Unknown founders can absolutely get coverage too. However, they just need to work a bit harder to explain why their story matters right now.
It’s also worth remembering that media coverage isn’t marketing. Journalists aren’t there to explain every product feature or repeat company messaging. Their job is to help readers understand why something is relevant. Often, that relevance comes from the people behind the company and the impact of the product on us all.
2. LinkedIn is no longer optional
The focus on people naturally leads to the second takeaway: LinkedIn has become one of the most important PR tools for founders.
Journalists follow LinkedIn closely, often more closely than inboxes. Founders who regularly share thoughts, learnings, and real experiences become familiar faces long before they ever send a formal pitch.
This visibility adds up over time. When a founder consistently posts honest, thoughtful updates, they build recognition and trust. So when they do reach out, their name already rings a bell, which makes engagement much more likely.
Importantly, this is not about polished press releases reposted as social content. The posts that work are specific, personal, and often simple: a lesson learned, a customer story, a moment of doubt, or a small but meaningful win. These signals help journalists understand not only what a company is doing, but who the founders are.
Mimi also pointed out that founder-led visibility almost always works better than company-led communication. People follow people, not logos. A strong founder presence on LinkedIn supports media interest, hiring, investor attention, and overall credibility at the same time.
3. PR is a long game
The third learning ties everything together: PR is a long game.
Strong media relationships are built slowly, through consistency, relevance, and trust. One pitch rarely turns into a big article, especially for early-stage companies. More often, startups show up in trend pieces, ecosystem stories, or smaller mentions. These smaller moments matter and often lead to bigger opportunities later.
Managing expectations is key here. Unfortunately, not every announcement is newsworthy, and not every journalist is the right fit. Strong PR means knowing what a publication covers, understanding a journalist’s beat, and being realistic about what kind of story makes sense at each stage.
Mimi also stressed how important it is to make journalists’ jobs easier. Clear, concise pitches, realistic framing and honest communication go a long way. Over time, journalists learn which founders and PR teams consistently bring thoughtful, relevant ideas, and those are the people whose emails get read first.
This long-term approach also applies to embargoes, exclusives, and funding news. Flexibility, transparency, and respect for how media actually works help maintain trust. Once that trust is lost, it is hard to win back.
So, in a nutshell, the strongest PR results rarely come from chasing headlines. They come from visible, authentic founders, consistent effort, and relationships built over time.
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