National news · Tier one
How to get featured in CNN
Getting featured in CNN: how its TV and digital desks choose stories, how to pitch reporters and bookers, the status of CNN Opinion, and how its tip line works.
- Website
- cnn.com
- Lead time
- Breaking news and TV bookings: hours to days. Digital features: typically one to several weeks.
- Last verified
At a glance
Audience. A large national and international audience across cable TV, streaming, and CNN.com, following breaking news, politics, business, and health.
- Breaking and world news
- Politics
- Business and markets
- Technology
- Health
- Investigations
- Staff reporting
- CNN's correspondents, digital writers, and show producers cover beats across TV and CNN.com; individual shows book their own guests.
- Contributed articles
- CNN does not run a contributor network for brands or executives. Its paid commentators are hired by the network, not pitched in.
- Opinion and op-eds
- CNN folded its standalone opinion section in 2024. Its Opinion submission portal on Submittable says there are presently no open calls for submissions.
- Press releases
- CNN's tips page says its tip channels are not for press releases. Releases go to individual reporters or producers who cover the topic.
Pitching CNN, step by step
Decide whether the story is for digital (a CNN.com writer on the beat) or for TV (a specific show's producers or bookers).
Identify the reporter or show through recent coverage of your topic, not a general inbox.
For TV, offer a credible spokesperson who is available on short notice and comfortable live on camera.
Lead with a news peg and something visual or data-driven that makes the story work on screen.
Reserve [email protected] and secure channels for evidence-backed public interest tips, not promotion.
How CNN decides what to cover
CNN is two newsrooms in practice: a television operation built around shows with their own producers and bookers, and a digital newsroom at CNN.com with writers and reporters on beats such as politics, business, tech, and health. Correspondents work across both. Coverage is driven by the news cycle, and a company story earns airtime or a digital piece when it connects to something already in the news or offers a strong human, visual, or data angle.
How to pitch CNN
Start by choosing the format. For CNN.com, find the writer who has covered your topic recently and send a short email with the news peg, the evidence, and why it matters now. For television, the decision sits with individual shows, so identify the program where your topic fits and pitch its producers with a specific segment idea and a spokesperson.
Television bookers need guests who are available quickly, credible, and clear on air. A founder or executive who has been media trained and can respond within hours is far more useful than a perfect story with an unavailable spokesperson.
CNN’s tips page lists email, encrypted email, and secure messaging channels. It says tips should be newsworthy, concern systemic problems of broad public interest, and be backed by documentation, and that these channels are not for press releases.
Contributed articles and op-eds
CNN does not publish contributed articles from brands. CNN shut its standalone opinion section in 2024, and its Opinion submission portal currently states there are no open calls for submissions. When it has accepted pieces, the portal’s rules called for original, exclusive articles of 600 to 800 words, disclosure of conflicts, sources for factual claims, and a bio and photo. Check the portal before writing anything for CNN.
Frequently asked questions
Can you pay to be featured on CNN?
No. Editorial coverage and guest bookings are not for sale. Advertising and sponsored content are sold separately and labeled.
Does CNN accept guest posts or op-eds?
Not currently, based on the Opinion portal, which says there are no open calls. Earned coverage comes through reporters and show producers.
Who should I pitch at CNN?
For digital, the CNN.com reporter who covers your beat. For TV, the producers of the specific show where your topic and spokesperson fit.
A PR-led approach to CNN pairs a news-pegged story with a spokesperson ready for live television, then pitches the right show or beat reporter rather than the network at large. That is how we run media relations for broadcast.
Mistakes that get pitches ignored
- Sending press releases to the tip line, which CNN says is not for them.
- Pitching a TV booker a spokesperson who cannot appear quickly or speak plainly.
- Assuming CNN Opinion is accepting op-eds; check the portal first.
- Pitching a story with no news peg or visual element for TV.
Keep going
Related outlets
Sources for this profile (3)
Profiles describe public editorial processes and are reviewed periodically. Digitize is not affiliated with CNN. Spot something out of date? Email [email protected].