Newsjacking 101
How to Turn Breaking News Into Earned Visibility
In early October 2005, New York City went on high alert. Officials announced a credible terrorist threat against the city’s transit system. Bag checks began at subway stations. Police presence doubled. Broadcast and print outlets went into full breaking news mode.
I drafted a short, clean pitch with a quote offering grounded security context from a former UN Security Chief and emailed it to reporters and producers covering the story.
Hours later, Michael McCann, former UN Security Chief, NYPD Dignitary Protection commander, and founder of McCann Protective Services, was on air with Anderson Cooper explaining how transit systems are evaluated, what a credible threat looks like, and what New Yorkers needed to know. He didn’t posture. He clarified. And viewers leaned in because he had the experience to make the moment understandable.
Every newsjacking pitch I ever sent for Michael landed. Different threat. Different network. Same outcome. Because the preparation behind each pitch was airtight.
That is newsjacking done right. You initiate. You email first. You meet the story before it closes the door on you.
Joshua Skule
A Case Study in High-Stakes Newsjacking
When the Capitol insurrection unfolded in January 2021, every newsroom in the country searched for credible voices who could explain national security failures in real time.
Within hours of the attack, I pitched Joshua Skule, then Senior Vice President of Allied Universal’s Risk Advisory and Consulting Services, and formerly the Executive Assistant Director for Intelligence at the FBI. He had led the FBI’s Intelligence Branch, managed a global staff of 5,000, and oversaw a multi-billion dollar national intelligence program.
CNBC booked him immediately.
Joshua broke down how domestic threats evolve, where protective failures occurred, and what agencies would prioritize next. His calm authority made him one of the most respected voices during that coverage cycle.
When the stakes were highest, Skule’s intelligence leadership made him indispensable to journalists needing real insight.
Joshua’s background speaks for itself.
Marine Captain.
Twenty-one years in the FBI.
Recipient of the Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Service.
Co-chair of the Domestic Security Alliance Council.
Architect of long-term counterterrorism strategy.
He wasn’t reacting to the moment.
He had lived the work.
That is why newsjacking him worked instantly.
Here’s What I Realized
Newsjacking isn’t luck. It is a system.
The news cycle moves fast. You move faster.
Reporters and producers need context. You supply it.
But only if you’ve prepared long before the story breaks.
Physical security taught me this better than anything. For nearly two decades across OCS Security, Initial, McCann Protective Services, AlliedBarton, and Allied Universal, I built a roster of real subject matter experts.
Former FBI. Secret Service. NYPD and LAPD command. Workplace violence specialists. Threat assessment leaders.
All pre-vetted. All media trained. All ready.
When an incident hit the wires, I matched the moment with the expert, shaped the angle, and emailed the right journalists. The result was consistent national coverage that helped shape public understanding of risk.
The physical security sector gives me the clearest examples, but the method works in every industry.
What Newsjacking Actually Is
Here’s the definition without jargon.
Newsjacking is the practice of inserting a credible expert into a breaking news story by sending a fast, relevant pitch to the journalist covering it.
Three elements make it work.
Timing
You must pitch early in the news cycle. If you show up late, someone else is already booked.Relevance
Your expert must help explain what the audience is seeing. They need to match the moment, not orbit around it.Credibility
Journalists book people who know, not people who speculate.
Hit these three and your pitch rises above the noise.
Whenever a major story breaks, your job is to match the moment with the expert, shape the angle, and email the right reporters and producers immediately. Every pitch I have ever made for a qualified physical security expert has landed. Authority travels fast when the news is moving faster.
Get this right and newsjacking becomes your most reliable earned media engine.
The Framework: How Newsjacking Works Across Sectors
Here’s the system I’ve used for more than twenty years across security, healthcare, mining, fintech, energy, consumer brands, and policy.
1. Build your expert bench before anything breaks
If you start looking for a spokesperson once the story hits, you’re already too late.
2. Map your moment zones
Every sector has predictable flashpoints.
Physical security: mass events, unrest, threat cycles
Mining: supply chain shocks, geopolitical decisions
Healthcare: outbreaks, FDA actions, hospital strain
Cyber: breaches, ransomware, infrastructure hits
Consumer: recalls, shortages, viral trends
Know your zones. Know your openings.
3. Create a rapid response kit
Your experts need:
A strong one sentence bio
A clean headshot
Five scenario-specific talking points
This prep is what makes your pitch usable in minutes, not hours.
4. Pitch with clarity, not drama
Your subject line and opening line should make the journalist’s job easier.
“This expert can explain X happening right now.”
Security experts excel at this because they explain crisis without sensationalizing it.
5. Move at newsroom speed
If your approvals take hours, you miss the window.
If your pitch arrives late, someone else fills the slot.
Newsjacking is a timing sport. The clock is ruthless.
Your Implementation Plan
1. Assign three to five subject matter experts
Each tied to specific moment zones.
2. Write tight bios
A single sentence that hits credentials, relevance, and value.
3. Build segmented media lists
National, regional, and beat-specific reporters and producers.
4. Establish same-hour internal approvals
Anything slower kills momentum.
Newsjacking is not opportunistic. It is disciplined. When your expert arrives early in the news cycle with clarity and authority, you shape how the story is told.
If you don’t show up, someone else will.
If you show up consistently, journalists begin to rely on you.
In a breaking news cycle, the best email always outruns the biggest brand.