What is newsjacking?
Newsjacking is riding a story that is already news by adding your own angle, data, or expertise to the moment. By tying your story to existing attention, its news value rises. Good newsjacking adds something real and moves fast, because news ages by the day.
Written by Timon Hendriks · Last updated on 12 July 2026
How it works in practice
Newsjacking works best in PR when you add something substantive to the news moment: your own numbers, an expert view, or a concrete example from your practice. A journalist writing about the topic is looking for exactly that kind of enrichment. Merely riding along without adding anything ("we have thoughts too") holds no value for a newsroom.
Speed and preparation make the difference. Predictable moments such as holidays, season changes, and annual theme days can be planned months ahead. For unexpected news, a fixed routine helps: who may respond, how fast can you deliver numbers, and which journalists cover this theme. Respond after three days and the moment has passed.
Example
When new remote-work rules are announced, an office design firm in Columbus sees its moment. The company has data on how often workstations have been redesigned since the rules and offers it the same day to journalists covering the decision. Two news sites work the numbers into their follow-up pieces, with the firm as the source.
Common mistake
Jumping on every moment that passes, even without a substantive link to your organization. A forced newsjack reads as opportunism and gets ignored; only moments where you genuinely have something to say earn attention.
Frequently asked questions
What makes newsjacking successful for PR?
A real substantive link to your organization, an addition of your own such as data or expertise, and speed. That combination makes your contribution usable for journalists already covering the moment.
What is the difference between newsjacking and regular news?
With regular news you are the occasion; with newsjacking the outside world is. Your story borrows its news value from a moment that already has attention, and your contribution enriches that moment.