National news · National
How to get featured in Politico
Getting featured in Politico: how its policy and politics reporters work, how to pitch news with a Washington angle, and how Politico Magazine handles op-eds.
- Website
- politico.com
- Owner
- Axel Springer
- Lead time
- Breaking political and policy news: same day, often hours. Magazine pieces: typically one to several weeks.
- Last verified
At a glance
Audience. Policymakers, Hill staff, lobbyists, campaign professionals, and executives whose businesses depend on government and regulation.
- Congress and the White House
- Campaigns and elections
- Policy and regulation
- Technology policy
- Energy, health, and finance policy
- States and local politics
- Staff reporting
- Reporters cover the White House, Congress, campaigns, and policy beats, and newsletters such as Playbook and subscription Politico Pro coverage track specific policy areas closely.
- Contributed articles
- Politico does not publish contributed brand content. Outside writers appear through Politico Magazine.
- Opinion and op-eds
- Politico Magazine has accepted op-eds and pitches from outside writers by email; its guidance says op-eds must be exclusive, conflicts must be disclosed, and it rarely accepts submissions from third parties.
- Press releases
- Releases are background for reporters. Coverage comes from a policy, political, or regulatory angle with real stakes.
Pitching Politico, step by step
Identify the reporter or newsletter that covers your policy area, such as tech, energy, health, or finance, through recent bylines.
Frame the pitch around Washington: a bill, a rule, an agency, a lawsuit, or a political fight your news affects.
Offer exclusive documents, data, or a first look at a filing or position that advances a running story.
Make an executive or policy lead available on the record, and be clear about what is on background.
For Politico Magazine, the author should pitch directly with an original argument and disclose conflicts up front.
How Politico decides what to cover
Politico covers politics and policy for people who work in and around government. Reporters are organized around the White House, Congress, campaigns, and policy areas such as technology, energy, health care, finance, defense, and trade. Its newsletters, including Playbook, and its subscription Politico Pro service track legislation and regulation in detail. Politico is owned by Axel Springer.
For companies, that means coverage follows policy. A story works when it touches a bill, a rule, an agency decision, a court fight, a lobbying effort, or a political race. A business milestone with no government angle rarely fits.
How to pitch Politico
Find the reporter or newsletter that covers your policy area, and read their recent work to see which fights they are following. Pitch the Washington angle first: what your news changes for a pending rule, a piece of legislation, or a regulatory debate. Exclusive documents, filings, data, or a first look at a company’s policy position are the kinds of material that move a Politico reporter. Be precise about what is on the record and what is on background.
Speed matters. Politico publishes quickly, and a pitch that arrives after the news breaks is often too late.
Contributed articles and op-eds
Politico does not run contributed brand content. Politico Magazine is the route for outside writers. Its write for us guidance, as archived, asks for a completed op-ed or a pitch with contact details and a few lines about the author, and says an editor will reply if it fits. It values original and counterintuitive arguments, deep expertise, and timeliness. Op-eds must be exclusive, conflicts of interest must be disclosed up front, and the Magazine rarely accepts submissions from third parties, so authors should pitch directly. It discourages narrow or short-lived topics, talking points, and predictable partisan arguments.
Frequently asked questions
Can you pay to be featured in Politico?
No. Editorial coverage and Magazine pieces are editorial decisions. Advertising and sponsored content are sold separately and labeled.
Does Politico accept guest posts?
Politico Magazine considers exclusive op-eds and pitches from authors directly. The newsroom does not accept contributed articles.
Who should I pitch at Politico?
The reporter or newsletter covering your policy area. For arguments, the author should pitch Politico Magazine directly.
A PR-led approach to Politico starts with the policy stakes of a company’s news and an executive prepared to speak to them. That is how we approach media relations for companies shaped by regulation.
Mistakes that get pitches ignored
- Pitching a product launch with no policy or political dimension.
- Having a PR firm submit an op-ed on an executive's behalf; the Magazine rarely accepts third-party submissions.
- Pitching narrow topics such as a single committee hearing or a highly specific regulation to the Magazine.
- Sending talking points or predictable partisan arguments.
Keep going
Related outlets
Sources for this profile (2)
Profiles describe public editorial processes and are reviewed periodically. Digitize is not affiliated with Politico. Spot something out of date? Email [email protected].