To save you from wasted effort and misdirected pitches, I always ask the UK's top business and City journalists about the content they automatically reject. No-one wants to pitch a non-starter, so here's everything you need to know.
In the competitive world of business journalism, knowing what stories will land – and which will never see the light of day – can be the difference between PR success and wasted effort.
While you might have meticulously crafted a pitch you believe will resonate, it’s easy to be unaware of the types of stories that a journalist has permanently crossed off their coverage list.
In the first five months of this year, I’ve tried to end every Roxhill event I host by asking the journalist about the news they’ll never use, going straight to the source to uncover those ‘no-go’ zones of business coverage.
Alan Livsey, Asset Management Correspondent, Financial Times
Alan joined us to talk about his beat, themes in asset management and how he prefers to engage with PRs.
The news he’ll never use:
- Overly cautious, neutral, or jargon-laden copy.
- Survey-based stories with no clear insight.
- Long, winding thought leadership with no quote-worthy lines.
Prudence Ivey, Homes & Property Editor, The London Standard
Prudence covers the residential property market. Working across print and online, she’s interested in London interiors, homewares, architecture and design as well as property stories and celebrity homes tips.
During our Roxhill Meets session, she let us know that she dislikes receiving long PDF brochures, generic press releases and non-exclusive material.
The news she’ll never use:
- CGI-only visuals, unless they’re extremely compelling.
- Weak survey data (must be 10,000+ sample size).
- Seasonal fluff without narrative (e.g., “Top 5 houses for Easter”)
- Stories focused purely on the landlord or developer side without consumer relevance.
Josh Spero, Wealth Editor, Financial Times
Josh has a broad remit, encompassing topics such as wine, tech, property and philanthropy.
The news he’ll never use:
- Generic surveys or reports (unless they’re truly revelatory).
- Case studies that are inauthentic or overly PR-led.
- Promotional or product-led content (e.g., automated financial services).
Tim Burke, Editor, Estates Gazette
Estates Gazette is under new ownership and has just relaunched. The newly appointed Editor Tim Burke joined us to talk about how much the publication has changed, what has remained the same, and how PRs can best interact with the new team.
The news he’ll never use:
- Topping out or ground-breaking ceremonies – he’s always happy to attend, but doesn’t find them newsworthy.
- Stories with no details. If there are no deal figures, no names, and no facts, then there won’t be coverage.
- Overexposed people: if someone’s already being featured in trade magazines that month, Estates Gazette likely won’t cover them.
- Fluffy, self-serving op-eds: thought leadership must be bold, not bland.
Emily Hawkins, Business Reporter, The Daily Mail
Reporting on retail and leisure, as well as other City news, Emily Hawkins covers a wide breadth of companies within her beat at The Daily Mail.
News she’ll never use:
- Photos of boardrooms: retail and consumer stories need strong visuals, so photos of people, rather than boardrooms, are preferred.
- Anything too niche: try and highlight why the story matters to all Daily Mail readers, not just why it’s a good business story.
- Weak or small-sample surveys: data always makes a story stronger, but make sure it’s robust enough.
Jon Robinson, UK Editor, City AM
We interviewed Jon Robinson to look at the art of placing stories in City AM, plus deadlines, timelines, embargoes, and exclusives.
He mentioned that he doesn’t have time to read lengthy emails, so a PR should be able to sell a story in ten words.
News he’ll never use:
- Surveys: Jon doesn’t like surveys mainly because of small sample sizes.
- Press releases with no news. Jon says, “At City AM, we’re not in the business of rewriting press releases. We want exclusives, scoops, or sharp opinion.”
- B2B stories. City AM is not a B2B publication, so don’t pitch deal stories that aren’t relevant.
Holly Mead, Former Deputy Money Editor, The Times
Named Commentator of the Year at the Headline Money Awards 2023, Holly has been at The Times and Sunday Times for just over two years where she covers topics such as investing, insurance, mortgages and savings.
Some of her pet peeves include impersonal pitches, and PRs insisting on embargoes with odd times.
The news she’ll never use:
- Generic surveys with weak methodology.
- PR-driven campaigns without strong consumer relevance.
- Case studies that lack financial details. Strong transparency around numbers helps to guarantee coverage. Pitches with case studies must disclose financial specifics.
Bradley Saacks, Hedge Fund & Asset Management Reporter, Business Insider
Bradley Saacks joined us to talk about Business Insider’s strong American readership, the issues facing the asset management industry in 2025 and what he and the broader team will be focused on this year.
News he’ll never use:
- Generic press releases about minor personnel changes, office openings, or small-scale initiatives.
- Charity-related stories (unless it has a direct, significant impact on the asset management or hedge fund space).
- Portfolio specifics such as individual trades or sector bets.
Elisha Juttla, City Editor, Legal Business
In January, we were joined by Elisha to talk about how she works with the broader team at the publication, and the stories they’ll be looking to cover this year.
The news she’ll never use:
- Routine associate or council moves.
- Awards or recognitions from external publications.
- Changes in laws themselves (the focus is on the business of law).
John Schaffer, Private Markets Editor, Citywire
John Schaffer is looking to build relationships with private assets fund selectors in the UK and Europe, and develop Citywire’s alts coverage.
The news he’ll never use:
- Generic fund launches with no unique angle or supporting data.
- Vague, promotional content without details on performance, fees, or structures.
- Overly broad macroeconomic commentary without direct relevance to private markets.
- Unsolicited surveys or reports without strong data backing.
Understanding what business journalists won’t cover will help you to focus your resources on pitches with genuine potential.
By recognizing these content boundaries, you’ll save valuable time for both yourself and the journalists you’re pitching to, allowing you to concentrate on developing stories that truly align with coverage priorities.
Roxhill's exclusive events
As a Roxhill client, you'll get access to our in-person and online events with top journalists, so you can start building rewarding media connections.
Roxhill's exclusive events
As a Roxhill client, you'll get access to our in-person and online events with top journalists so you can start building rewarding connections.