How to get featured in The New York Times

How The New York Times decides what to cover

The Times runs a large newsroom divided into desks, including Business, Technology, Politics, National, Metro, Science, Health, and Styles. Reporters own beats and generate most of their stories through their own sourcing, and desk editors decide what gets assigned and published. A company announcement becomes Times coverage only when it says something about a larger trend, a market shift, a policy fight, or a story readers will care about beyond the company itself.

The newsroom and Opinion are separate. The news side does not take contributed articles, and paid placement in the newsroom does not exist. Advertising and branded content are handled by a separate commercial team and are labeled as such.

How to pitch The New York Times

Start with recent bylines. Find the reporter who has covered your category in the last few months and read their work so the pitch connects to what they already follow. Pitch one reporter at a time with a short, plain email: the news in the opening lines, why it matters now, and what you can offer that nobody else has, such as data, documents, or access.

Expect scrutiny. Times reporters will want named sources, verifiable numbers, and outside voices, including critics. Founders who can speak candidly on the record, and customers or independent experts who will do the same, make a story far more likely to move forward.

The tips page is for evidence-backed public interest information, such as wrongdoing by a company or official. The Times says plainly that feedback, story ideas, pitches, and press releases should not be sent through those channels.

Contributed articles and op-eds

The route for outside voices is a guest essay in Opinion. According to the Help Center, essays should make an argument grounded in expertise or experience, typically run 800 to 1,200 words, and be original and exclusive to the Times. Accepted writers provide an annotated copy listing a source for each factual claim. Submissions go through a form, and the Times says writers can submit elsewhere if they have not heard back within three business days. Responses to Times articles belong on the Letters page, not in a guest essay.

Frequently asked questions

Can you pay to be featured in The New York Times?

No. News coverage and guest essays are editorial decisions. Paid advertising and branded content exist but are labeled and produced separately from the newsroom.

Does The New York Times accept guest posts?

Not as news articles. Opinion accepts guest essay submissions, which must be exclusive, argued, and fact-checked before publication.

Who should I pitch at The New York Times?

The beat reporter who has most recently covered your subject on the relevant desk. Use recent bylines to find them rather than a general inbox.

A PR-led approach to the Times starts with the story, not the list: finding the angle that matters beyond your company, building the evidence a reporter will ask for, and preparing executives to be credible on the record. That is the core of our media relations work.