Technology · Trade
How to get featured in GeekWire
How to get featured in GeekWire: the three tests its Seattle newsroom applies to stories, how to send tips and pitches, and what to know about guest commentary.
- Website
- geekwire.com
- Lead time
- News: same day to a few days. Features: weeks. Guest commentary: no published timeline.
- Last verified
At a glance
Audience. Tech professionals, founders, investors, and business leaders in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest, plus readers following Amazon, Microsoft, and the region's startups.
- Seattle and Pacific Northwest startups
- Venture capital and funding
- Amazon and Microsoft
- Cloud and AI
- Regional tech industry and workforce
- Staff reporting
- A Seattle-based newsroom covers regional tech, startups, and the region's major companies. GeekWire's focus page says reporters mainly pursue their own story ideas but welcome tips.
- Contributed articles
- GeekWire has historically published guest commentary from outside writers, but no current public submission guidelines could be confirmed. Ask through the contact page before writing.
- Opinion and op-eds
- Guest commentary has appeared on the site in the past. Treat any op-ed as an inquiry through the contact page, not a guaranteed route.
- Press releases
- No public press release desk. GeekWire asks PR professionals to read its focus principles before pitching and says it cannot respond to every pitch.
Pitching GeekWire, step by step
Read GeekWire's Core Values and Journalistic Focus page before pitching, as it asks PR professionals to do.
Check your story against its three tests: Pacific Northwest news that matters globally, unique value for the regional tech community, or outside news uniquely relevant to the region.
Find the reporter who covers your beat through recent bylines, or use the tip option on the contact page.
Lead with the regional connection: local founders, local investors, local jobs, or impact on the region's major companies.
Have funding details, customer names, and executives ready for a quick follow-up.
How GeekWire decides what to cover
GeekWire is a Seattle-based technology news site with a clear regional focus. Its Core Values and Journalistic Focus page sets out three categories it uses to decide coverage: Pacific Northwest stories that matter globally, stories that add unique value for the regional tech community, and outside stories that are uniquely relevant to the region. Editors try to meet at least one of those tests in every story.
That makes GeekWire one of the most important outlets for companies with a real Pacific Northwest connection and a hard one to reach for companies without it. Amazon and Microsoft, both headquartered in the region, are natural anchors, along with Seattle and Northwest startups, venture funding, and the people who build them.
How to pitch GeekWire
Read the focus page first. GeekWire asks public relations professionals to read and consider its principles before pitching and says it cannot respond to every pitch. Its reporters mainly pursue their own ideas, but the newsroom welcomes tips and says some of its best stories come from reader suggestions.
Then make the regional case in the first two lines. A Seattle startup raising a round, a Northwest company hiring or cutting jobs, or a national company’s move that changes something for the region’s tech community all fit. Pitch the reporter who covers your beat, found through recent bylines, or use the tip option on the contact page.
Contributed articles and op-eds
GeekWire has published guest commentary in the past, and an older GeekWire note invited guest posts and commentary from readers. We could not confirm current public submission guidelines. If you want to place a commentary piece, ask through the contact page with a short summary of the argument and the author’s regional relevance before you write the full draft.
Frequently asked questions
Does GeekWire accept guest posts?
It has run guest commentary historically, but no current public guidelines could be confirmed. Ask through the contact page before writing.
What makes a story right for GeekWire?
A Pacific Northwest connection. GeekWire’s focus page describes three tests, all built around the region’s tech community.
Can you pay to be featured in GeekWire?
Editorial coverage is not for sale. GeekWire sells events and advertising through its business side, which is separate from the newsroom.
For regional tech outlets, the local angle is the story. A PR-led approach to media relations finds that angle and the right reporter before the pitch goes out.
Mistakes that get pitches ignored
- Pitching national stories with no Pacific Northwest angle.
- Ignoring the focus principles GeekWire asks PR professionals to read.
- Following up repeatedly. GeekWire says it cannot respond to every pitch.
- Sending a finished guest article without asking whether commentary is being accepted.
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Sources for this profile (2)
Profiles describe public editorial processes and are reviewed periodically. Digitize is not affiliated with GeekWire. Spot something out of date? Email [email protected].