Journalist Request Study: Uncovering Trends & Approaches

Journo requests are a key Digital PR tactic for securing coverage. In the current media landscape, where journalists are constantly changing beats and publications are always altering their focus, media requests offer insights into exactly what relevant journalists are looking for at the time, removing the guesswork.

Media requests often entail a journalist seeking products and experiences, but more commonly, expert comments from qualified individuals for an upcoming article.

The requests are typically posted on social media platforms such as X under the #journorequest hashtag, as well as resources like Help A Reporter Out (HARO) that connect journalists with contributors.

According to a previous Buzzstream study, 92.5% of PR professionals respond to expert commentary requests as part of their marketing campaigns.

With AI content growing in the SERPs, news publications are fighting misinformation with authoritative and trustworthy content, making expert insights more valuable than ever before for both journalists and PRs.

However, the fake AI expert scandal has created new barriers for journalists in finding trustworthy experts. While this latest development can make it harder for brands to get featured, it also provides opportunities for experts who can showcase their credibility.

Of course, it takes time and effort to build this trust, but it can absolutely pay off for the right business.

To help gauge which brands are most suited to this approach, we have done a deep dive into 1,775 journo requests from 2025.

Analysing the requests featured in the Pressflow newsletter, which gathers daily journo requests from various platforms into a single email, we have found the most common types, the topics in demand, and the peak times of the year for this tactic.

The Publications Submitting the Most Requests

It’s worth understanding which publications and journalists are generally submitting media requests relevant to your niche, so that you can prioritise monitoring their profiles and building relationships, and become more familiar with what they’re looking for.

From our research, we’ve found the 10 publications that submitted the most journo requests in 2025.

Ideal Home submitted 159 requests across the year, which was the most of all publications, followed by Living 360 with 77 requests. As both sites typically cover lifestyle and home stories, monitoring their media requests could provide great opportunities for homeware brands, interior designers, and cleaning experts.

With 76 requests, the Mail Online and Daily Mail were next, submitting a broader range of requests, from fashion to science and property topics, providing media coverage opportunities for various brands.

Freelance journalists accounted for 74 of the requests, showcasing the vital role they play in the media cycle. Responding quickly to journo requests with the specific information requested is a great way to connect with journalists, especially freelancers.

Metro rounded out the top five publications, with 70 requests. Similar to the Mail Online, Metro covers a broad range of topics, but is slightly more geared towards lifestyle content. Travel in particular was a popular niche for Metro journalists, with comments covering topics like overtourism, travelling with tattoos, and flight anxiety.

Reach PLC submitted the seventh-most requests, but it’s worth noting that this large media company publishes content across more than 120+ brands, including household names such as the Mirror, Express, Daily Record and Daily Star.

A journalist searching for comments for one of the group’s sites may share the story on multiple publications.

Most Common Expert Comment Request Topics

Whether you’re looking for clients that will best suit this approach or you’re exploring the suitability of this strategy for your brand, it’s useful to know which type of expertise is most in demand. Below, we reveal the five most-requested topics for expert comments in 2025.

1) Medical

Medical expertise was the most requested (128 across the year), with women’s health in particular being common. Many requests specifically asked for doctors or GPs to comment, whereas others simply sought ‘medical experts’.

It can be difficult to secure medical coverage, as the topics are often sensitive and complex, meaning the standards for contributors are much higher. When responding to medical-related requests, ensure your expert is directly relevant and highlight how they are qualified to speak on the topic.

National publications such as The i Paper, Mail Online and HuffPost frequently sought medical expertise for advice and commentary.

2) Psychology

Psychology experts were the second-most-requested, with 102 across the year. The comment topics varied from friendships, family, finances, parenting, grief, work, diet, and romantic relationships. However, psychology expertise was also in demand to comment on trends, lifestyle topics, and celebrity stories.

Many high-profile publications (e.g., Cosmopolitan, Metro, The i Paper, and Stylist) submitted multiple requests for contributions from psychologists, therapists, and general mental health experts.

3) Interior Design

With 96 requests over the year, interior design was the third most in-demand topic, and the overall most requested in August. Comments on kitchens and bathroom designs were of particular interest, as well as colour trends and feng shui.

A large portion of these comment requests were specifically for or most relevant to interior designers, with some requests for ecommerce brands in this industry.

These experts were in demand for various lifestyle publications, especially Ideal Home and House Beautiful. Achieving a comment placement through one of these requests could be the opening to building relationships with publications that are constantly looking for more contributions.

4) Wellness

Our research found 93 wellness requests last year, with many being from lifestyle publications, such as Marie Claire and Glamour, as well as news sites, like The Independent and The Standard.

Wellness is harder to define as a category – it can cover physical activity, mental well-being, relaxation, and spirituality. However, opportunities seem vast for a range of wellness businesses and industry professionals.

The requests included experiences (e.g., luxury spas, retreats), products (e.g., candles, dehumidifiers), and commentary from a wide range of experts (e.g., massage therapists, life coaches, psychics).

5) Fitness

Fitness completes the top five topics, with 90 requests in 2025. A range of fitness activities were mentioned in the requests, but running was frequently cited, especially within the niche of running marathons.

Most commonly, these posts sought quotes from personal trainers and fitness instructors, but there were also several requests for fitness products, such as gadgets and subscription boxes.

GQ, Marie Claire, and Living 360 most commonly submitted these requests, as well as freelance journalists. Industry-specific publications also submitted fitness-related requests, but they were overall less inclined to issue requests, according to the Pressflow research.

While certain topics are most popular for expert comments, there will typically be opportunities for most businesses, but they may be less often.

If you aren’t finding requests for your relevant expertise or products, go directly to the relevant publications with your contributions, whether that’s expert quotes, product launches or original data.

Product Requests Were in Demand

While expert quotes were the most popular type of requests, call-outs for products were also common, with 266 throughout the year! Many of the products were for gift guides, which can be a great tactic for ecommerce brands to gain coverage that can directly translate to sales.

Many of the product requests were for beauty, fashion, homeware, and tech items. There were also several requests for food, drinks, wellness, and pet products.

Journalists Want Human-Centric Stories

Due to the wave of AI-generated slop, readers and, therefore, editors, are craving real-life stories, such as case studies and ghost-written first-person features. Throughout 2025, there were 74 journo requests for real people to contribute to a story.

Some of these requests included people with specific experiences (e.g., visiting a psychic retreat or travelling to certain locations), health case studies, relationship first-person features, and people willing to share their lifestyle choices (e.g., being child-free in London, leaving the UK due to political reasons).

Brands can jump on this trend by highlighting case studies of real people they have helped with their services and have an interesting angle. For example, accountants who have worked with an individual who has acquired a lot of money at a young age, or travel companies helping someone relocate.

Due to confidentiality, companies may not be able to directly contact previous customers or clients, especially on sensitive topics. In these instances, businesses could instead submit their own case study requests through social media channels for somebody in their community to come forward.

However, it’s worth considering that a contributor will need to be named and photographed.

It can be difficult to find a case study in the short amount of time that is usually required with journo requests, but if you have anybody in mind, it can be worth pursuing.

Alternatively, if you have an interesting case study prepared, wait to pitch it until you see a relevant media request or hook to ensure it reaches the most suitable journalists with more chances of coverage.

Additionally, there were 25 requests for business owners or founders to discuss their personal experiences, such as public speaking as an introvert, or opinions on topics like returning to the office.

If your client’s or company’s founders are willing to be interviewed, this can be a great way to provide that human-centric angle, while still directly promoting the business.

The Seasonality of Expert Comments

As mentioned, journo requests are often unpredictable and therefore require regular monitoring to prevent missing valuable opportunities to build relationships and secure coverage. However, certain topics may be more likely to appear due to seasonality.

Below, we’ve found the topics that were most requested in each month of 2025:

Without analysing previous years, it’s hard to know whether these topics will peak annually, especially as breaking news can change the most-discussed stories. However, our findings highlighted some topics that fit expected themes.

In January, nutrition was the most-requested topic, likely following the trend of people improving their diet after Christmas.

Psychology topics were the most requested in February and March, with Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day likely triggering relationship-focused articles.

In April, travel was most discussed, a period when many will be planning their summer trips.

As well as the subject matters, this chart also shows which months had more journo requests overall, with February being much higher, followed by March and September.

Tips for Responding to Journo Requests

Journo requests are often hit and miss, but can be extremely effective for getting your brand or client featured in established publications. However, to maximise your chances of a journalist choosing your response, follow the steps below:

• Respond quickly to the original request (within a couple of hours or to any specified deadlines) and to any follow-ups.
• Only reply if you have the requested details and/or a relevant expert.
• Reference the journo request at the beginning of the email, so it’s clear what you’re referring to.
• Clearly label the subject line so they know what the email is regarding.
• Showcase your client/brand’s authority and credibility (e.g., listing qualifications, linking author pages and LinkedIn profiles).
• Avoid including irrelevant and overly promotional material.
• Avoid using AI for any insights you’re providing.
• Format emails for readability.
• Check grammar and spelling.
• Provide contact details for any follow-ups.
• Prepare comments in advance for topics that are seasonally of interest.

Remember that journalists will likely receive several responses to their requests, so there’s no guarantee yours will be chosen. However, if your reply follows these steps and meets their requirements, they may remember your brand for future queries.

Final Thoughts

Responding to media requests can secure placements of your brand’s expert commentary or product reviews in well-known publications. This type of coverage is extremely valuable as it can send trust signals to Google and users and increase mentions in AI overviews, helping establish your brand as a trusted industry expert.

If you’re interested in learning more about journo requests and which Digital PR strategies are most suitable for your brand, please get in touch.