Spray-and-Pray Isn’t Dead: When Casting a Wide Net Still Works in Media Relations
Media professionals love to hate the “spray-and-pray” approach. And often, they’re right to do so. Mass-pitching irrelevant press releases to hundreds of journalists is a fast way to burn bridges and tank your credibility. But in the right circumstances—with the right strategy—casting a wide net can still serve a purpose.
It’s not about laziness. It’s about timing, scale and knowing when reach matters more than precision.
Why It Gets a Bad Rap—And Why It Usually Deserves It
Let’s be clear: Most of the time, blanket pitching does more harm than good. Journalists are bombarded with hundreds of emails a week, many of which have nothing to do with their beats. Sending a generic release to someone who covers an entirely different sector sends a message: You didn’t do your homework.
From the PR side, it’s inefficient too. You spend time crafting a release, building a list and hitting send—only to be met with silence. There’s no relationship building, no targeting and often no outcome.
So why defend it?
When a Broad Approach Makes Sense
Because sometimes, the story is big enough.
Major announcements—like product launches, acquisitions, funding rounds or research with broad relevance—are moments when casting a wider net can increase impact. These aren’t your average updates. They’re high-visibility moments where awareness is the goal.
And in these cases, you’re not relying on spray and pray as your only move. You’re layering it on top of targeted outreach. It becomes a way to reach secondary markets, niche outlets or regional publications that might not have been on your radar—but whose audiences are highly engaged.
The media landscape is fragmented. Influence is dispersed. And a single story can live many lives if it lands in the right corners.
Navigating a Rapidly Shifting Press Landscape
Reporters are switching beats faster than ever. Outlets downsize. Freelancers rotate between industries. Your “accurate” list from six months ago might already be outdated. A broader approach occasionally catches emerging voices or new beat reporters you weren’t aware of.
Spray and pray isn’t a substitute for relationship-based pitching. But it can be a discovery tool—surfacing unexpected allies and new contacts who become future collaborators.
Not All Coverage Carries the Same Weight—But It All Adds Up
Yes, top-tier coverage is the brass ring. But momentum can build from less obvious places. Local outlets, trade publications and niche blogs may not have the same name recognition, but they often come with dedicated followings. For campaigns seeking traction, these hits can:
- Establish credibility within specific industries
- Create a perception of ubiquity
- Seed future, larger stories
One small outlet links to your story. A bigger one picks it up. Suddenly, the reach is exponential. It happens more often than you think.
Doing It Right: Strategic Guidelines
If you’re going to cast a wide net, do it deliberately:
- Curate, Don’t Blast: Don’t send to 5,000 random contacts. Build a broader list that’s still relevant.
- Segment Your Messaging: Customize outreach to your core media targets. Use a general release for everyone else—but keep it clear, concise and genuinely newsworthy.
- Use It Sparingly: This isn’t a weekly tactic. Reserve it for stories with real breadth and stakes.
- Make It Easy to Cover: Include visuals, quotes, background and context. Eliminate the friction.
Spray and pray isn’t dead. It’s just misunderstood. When deployed with intention, it supports the broader arc of a media strategy built on precision and trust.
The Bottom Line
The best media relations strategies are built on thoughtful targeting, strong relationships and timely outreach. But when the story calls for scale, there is still room for volume.
Not every pitch needs to be one-to-one. Sometimes, the right play is one-to-many—as long as you do it with care.
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