Business Insider has grown from a scrappy digital news site into one of the larger business publications in the US, with hundreds of staff reporters covering specific beats. It’s one of the more realistic prestige targets for founders who want meaningful mainstream coverage. This post covers the actual paths in, what reporters want, and how to pitch without wasting anyone’s time.
Why Business Insider is worth pursuing
Several reasons BI is a strong target in 2026:
Large staff with specific beats. BI has far more staff reporters than most business publications, organized into tight beats (startups, VC, ecommerce, careers, finance, tech giants). That means there’s almost always a reporter whose beat fits your story, and beat-specific pitches land much better than generic ones.
Faster publication cycles. BI publishes constantly, which means stories move through the editorial process faster than at slower-cycle publications like Forbes or Bloomberg. Good pitches can result in published coverage within days, sometimes hours, of the original outreach.
Strong AI product citations. BI shows up frequently in AI product responses across business and technology topics. A BI article that mentions your business will likely propagate into AI responses within weeks of publication.
Subscription tier adds credibility. BI’s paywalled “BI Prime” content has higher editorial standards and is often longer, more researched, and more influential in both traditional search and AI citations.
What BI covers well
BI’s strongest categories and the reporters typically covering them.
Startups and venture capital
One of BI’s largest desks. Reporters cover specific segments:
- Early-stage startups and pitch decks (often running “how we raised” features).
- Later-stage startups and unicorn stories.
- Specific verticals (fintech, biotech, climate tech, etc.).
- VC firms and individual investors.
- Startup layoffs, shutdowns, and controversies.
Careers and workplace
Another major desk. Reporters cover:
- Workplace trends (remote work, return-to-office, AI in the workplace).
- Specific careers and job markets.
- Salary trends and negotiation stories.
- Employee perspectives and first-person essays.
- HR and recruiting topics.
Personal finance
Personal finance has its own desk with reporters covering:
- Credit cards, savings accounts, and banking products.
- Investing (stocks, crypto, real estate).
- Debt management and budgeting.
- Specific life stages (first job, buying a house, retirement).
Tech giants and enterprise tech
Reporters cover specific companies (Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, Meta, etc.) and broader enterprise tech topics. Coverage tends to focus on:
- Leadership changes.
- Earnings and strategy.
- Internal tensions and product controversies.
- Emerging products and features.
Retail and consumer brands
Retail has its own desk covering:
- DTC brands and ecommerce.
- Traditional retailers (Walmart, Target, etc.).
- Fast fashion and sustainability.
- Consumer behavior trends.
Each desk has different angles, different reporters, and different tolerances for self-promotion. Pitching the wrong desk is the most common reason BI pitches fail.
How to find the right reporter
Don’t pitch “editor@businessinsider.com.” Pitch specific reporters. Steps:
- Go to BI and search for recent articles in your category.
- Note which reporters are covering your topic.
- Read 5-10 of their recent articles to understand their angle and what kinds of stories they pick up.
- Find their email, usually through LinkedIn, Muck Rack, or their author page.
- Check their Twitter/X feed for what they’re currently covering or looking for.
- Pitch based on what you see them actually covering, not what you want them to cover.
Reporters appreciate pitches that show you’ve read their work. Generic pitches that could have been sent to any reporter at any outlet get ignored instantly.
What makes a pitch work
BI reporters get dozens of pitches daily. The ones that earn responses share common traits.
A specific hook in the subject line
The subject line decides whether the email gets opened. Make it specific and newsworthy.
Bad: “Story idea for Business Insider” Good: “Data: 60% of Series A startups cut marketing in Q1 2026” Good: “Exclusive: [Company] raised $40M Series B after pivoting from hardware to software”
The subject line should answer “why would BI’s readers care” in fewer than 10 words.
A short, scannable email
Keep the pitch under 150 words. Reporters scan, they don’t read.
Structure:
- One sentence stating the story.
- Two or three sentences of supporting detail (specific data, context, or angle).
- One sentence offering what you can provide (exclusive access, data set, interview, etc.).
- A brief signature with contact info.
That’s it. Longer pitches get deleted unread.
A real, newsworthy story
“We launched a product” isn’t newsworthy. “We launched a product that solves a specific problem in a new way, backed by data showing the problem is growing” might be. “Our CEO has opinions about industry trends” isn’t newsworthy. “Our CEO has data and a contrarian take on a widely-held assumption” might be.
Reporters can smell the difference between a real story and a press release dressed up as one. Invest time in identifying the actual news before drafting the pitch.
An offer of something the reporter can’t get elsewhere
BI reporters love exclusives, datasets, and access. If your pitch includes something unique (exclusive first-look data, access to a hard-to-reach executive, a case study nobody else has), it becomes much more attractive.
“Happy to share our proprietary data with you exclusively” is more compelling than “Let me know if you’d like to hear more.”
The pitch templates that work
Three patterns that work consistently.
The data pitch
Subject: [Specific finding or percentage]: [Brief angle]
Hi [Name],
[One sentence with the headline finding, including a specific number.]
[Two sentences of context explaining why the finding is notable and what the broader pattern is.]
[One sentence offering the full dataset or methodology exclusively.]
[Brief signature with title and company]Example:
Subject: 73% of YC batches since 2023 cited AI as primary use case - data
Hi Alex,
Our analysis of Y Combinator's last 6 batches shows 73% of companies explicitly described themselves as "AI-first" or "AI-native" in their pitches, up from 22% in 2022 batches.
The shift happened faster than most people realize, and there are some interesting patterns in which verticals are saturating first. Happy to share the full dataset and breakdown exclusively.
Thanks,
[Name]
[Title, Company]The trend pitch
Subject: Story tip: [Trend description]
Hi [Name],
[One sentence naming a specific trend you're seeing, with concrete evidence.]
[Two sentences of context: what's driving the trend, what's surprising about it, who's affected.]
[One sentence offering sources, data, or access to key people.]
Thanks,
[Name]The exclusive announcement pitch
Subject: Exclusive: [Specific announcement with numbers]
Hi [Name],
[One sentence describing the news, with specific numbers and context.]
[Two sentences on why the news matters to BI's readers and what the broader implications are.]
[One sentence offering embargoed access before the public announcement.]
Thanks,
[Name]For announcements, the exclusive angle is critical. BI reporters are more likely to cover news if they get it before competitors.
What doesn’t work
A few patterns that guarantee your pitch gets ignored.
Mass blast to multiple reporters at BI. They talk. Mass pitches mark you as a low-quality source.
Promotional language. “Innovative solution,” “revolutionary platform,” “industry-leading technology.” Every one of these phrases makes your pitch look like marketing, which BI reporters filter out instinctively.
Pitches without a hook. “Would love to introduce you to our CEO” isn’t a pitch. BI reporters don’t do courtesy meetings.
Over-the-top flattery. “I love your work and think you’re the best reporter covering this space.” Cringe. Just get to the point.
Unrequested follow-ups beyond one. Follow up once after a week if you don’t hear back. Don’t follow up again after that. Persistent pitching burns the relationship.
Pitching paid content or sponsorships. BI has a separate sales team for that. Contacting editorial reporters about sponsored opportunities is a fast way to get blocked.
Timing
When to send:
- Tuesday through Thursday, mid-morning ET (9 AM to 11 AM).
- Avoid Monday (reporters triaging weekend queues) and Friday (finishing deliverables).
- Avoid holidays and late afternoons.
When reporters publish:
- Most reporters publish multiple times per week, and pitches that fit their current news cycle can convert within 24-72 hours.
- If your pitch is tied to specific news (earnings, regulation, a competitor announcement), pitch within the first 24 hours of the news breaking.
The follow-up after publication
Once your story runs in BI, a few things to do:
- Thank the reporter briefly. One sentence, no gifts.
- Share the article on your social channels with a positive tone.
- Don’t complain about anything the reporter wrote, even if you wish it had been different.
- Stay in touch by sending them occasional tips on other stories they might find interesting.
Reporters remember sources who were helpful and easy to work with. Those relationships become the foundation for future coverage, which is often easier to earn than the first placement.
The bottom line
Business Insider is one of the more accessible major business publications for founders with real stories. The keys: pitch specific reporters with specific angles, lead with hooks backed by data, keep pitches short, and build relationships over time rather than treating each placement as a one-shot transaction. Do that consistently, and BI coverage becomes a repeatable channel rather than a lottery ticket.