National news · Tier one
How to get featured in The Washington Post
How to get featured in The Washington Post: how its desks cover policy, tech, and business, how to pitch reporters, and how the guest opinion process works now.
- Website
- washingtonpost.com
- Owner
- Jeff Bezos (Nash Holdings)
- Lead time
- Breaking and policy news: same day. Enterprise and investigative stories: weeks to months. Op-eds: the Help Center suggests assuming a pass if there is no reply within a week.
- Last verified
At a glance
Audience. Policymakers, government and political professionals, and a national readership focused on Washington, policy, and its effect on business and daily life.
- Politics and government
- National security and policy
- Technology and its regulation
- Business and the economy
- Climate and health
- Opinions
- Staff reporting
- Staff reporters on desks such as Politics, National, Business, Technology, and Investigations cover their beats and pursue their own stories; editors assign and approve coverage.
- Contributed articles
- The newsroom does not publish contributed articles. Outside writers appear through the Opinions section.
- Opinion and op-eds
- Opinions accepts completed guest op-eds through an online form; the Help Center says submissions are limited to 800 words, must be exclusive, and only finished pieces are considered.
- Press releases
- Press releases are background material for reporters. Coverage depends on a reporter finding a story with policy, market, or public interest stakes.
Pitching The Washington Post, step by step
Find the reporter whose recent bylines match your issue, especially where your news touches regulation, government, or national policy.
Lead with the stakes: who is affected, what changes, and why it matters to readers in Washington and beyond.
Offer documents, data, or exclusive access that lets the reporter advance the story rather than repeat an announcement.
Prepare executives and independent sources to speak on the record.
For an argument rather than news, write a complete op-ed of 800 words or fewer and submit it through the Opinions form.
If you hear nothing from Opinions within about a week, assume the piece will not run and move on.
How The Washington Post decides what to cover
The Post is strongest where government, policy, and power intersect with business and technology. Its newsroom is organized into desks such as Politics, National, Business, Technology, Climate, Health, and Investigations, with reporters who own specific beats. Most coverage originates with those reporters. A company story usually earns space when it shows how regulation, politics, or a national trend affects people, markets, or institutions.
The newsroom and the Opinions section operate separately. In February 2025, owner Jeff Bezos said the Opinions section would write in support of two pillars, personal liberties and free markets, and leave opposing viewpoints to other outlets. That stated focus matters when deciding whether an argument fits the section.
How to pitch The Washington Post
Pitch the reporter, not the paper. Use recent bylines to find who covers your issue, then send a short, specific email that leads with the stakes for readers. If your news involves a federal agency, a court case, a bill, or a policy debate, say so in the first lines, because that is often what makes it a Post story rather than a trade story.
Bring material a reporter can use to advance the story: data, documents, a customer or affected party willing to talk, or first access. Expect reporters to seek outside comment, including from critics.
Contributed articles and op-eds
There is no contributor network on the news side. The outside route is Opinions. The Help Center says op-ed submissions are limited to 800 words, must not have been submitted to, posted to, or published by any other media, and must include the writer’s full name and contact details. Only completed pieces are considered; the section does not provide guidance on proposals. The guest opinion page notes that submissions now go through a new form. Responses to Post articles go to the letters page instead.
Frequently asked questions
Can you pay to be featured in The Washington Post?
No. News coverage and op-eds are editorial decisions. Advertising and sponsored content are sold separately and labeled.
Does The Washington Post accept guest posts?
Not in the newsroom. Opinions accepts completed, exclusive op-eds of up to 800 words through its submission form.
Who should I pitch at The Washington Post?
The beat reporter whose recent work matches your issue. For arguments, submit a finished op-ed to Opinions rather than emailing an editor a pitch.
A PR-led approach to the Post means finding the policy or public interest stakes in your story and preparing executives to defend them on the record. That is how we approach media relations for outlets with a Washington lens.
Mistakes that get pitches ignored
- Sending pitches or outlines to Opinions; the Help Center says it considers only completed articles.
- Submitting an op-ed that has already been posted or offered elsewhere.
- Pitching a product launch with no policy, market, or public interest angle.
- Ignoring the Opinions section's stated focus when choosing an argument to submit.
Keep going
Related outlets
Sources for this profile (3)
- Washington Post Help Center: Submit an op-ed
- Washington Post: Submit a guest opinion
- PBS NewsHour: Bezos says Post opinion pages will defend free markets and personal liberties
Profiles describe public editorial processes and are reviewed periodically. Digitize is not affiliated with The Washington Post. Spot something out of date? Email [email protected].