The Future Is the Story: How to Pitch Next-Gen Coverage to Outlets Like Vox

By 829 Studios

If 2023 was the year of “AI everywhere,” 2024 is shaping up to be the year of everything futuristic. But as mainstream media looks beyond the hype and toward real-world impact, marketers and communicators face a unique challenge. How can frontier technologies, like biotech, sustainability, and space, become urgent and newsworthy.

To understand where the media conversation is headed, we took note of SBS Comms’ recent interview with Rachel DuRose, a reporting fellow at Vox’s Future Perfect, a desk known for deep-dive journalism on underreported trends across biotech, climate, public health, and beyond.

Here are three key lessons from that conversation, and how you can apply them to land smarter pitches and more meaningful media coverage in 2024.

1. Future Coverage Isn’t About Tech for Tech’s Sake

Media coverage of emerging tech is evolving, and so should your PR narrative. It’s not enough to pitch “what” your technology does. The best stories now hinge on why it matters long-term, how it fits into broader societal or environmental trends, and who will be most affected.

Rachel’s POV: Future Perfect’s lens is long-term impact. Whether it’s biotech or sustainability, they ask: What does this innovation change for the next generation?

Your move: Anchor your story in macro trends, not product features. Think climate policy, food insecurity, digital rights, and global health. If your tech sits at one of these intersections, now’s the time to bring it forward.

2. Short-Term Visibility Can Still Support Long-Form Goals

Most long-form desks aren’t looking for your typical press release or startup launch. But that doesn’t mean they’re not paying attention. Building relationships and offering credible subject matter experts, even if there’s no current story in play, is a valuable way to stay top-of-mind.

Rachel’s tip: Don’t pitch full story ideas, pitch sources. Introduce someone who has a unique POV or deep research experience, and she’ll save the email for future reporting.

Your move: Build a future-facing spokesperson bench. Pair your brand leads with academics, nonprofit partners, or product researchers who can speak credibly, and humbly, about change on the horizon.

3. Credibility Beats Speed in the New Media Landscape

At outlets like Vox, credibility is currency. Rachel emphasized that staying current in fast-evolving fields like public health or AI means more than watching headlines. It’s about doing your homework, tracking academic research, and showing up with context.

Rachel’s workflow: She subscribes to embargoed research, follows policy developments, and maintains active convos with university researchers.

Your move: Align your pitches with real-world data and peer-reviewed insight. If your innovation was recently cited in a study or solves a problem that’s now in the news cycle, that’s your in.

Final Thought: Think Beyond the Launch

If your next product, pilot or platform truly aims to shape the future of an industry, pitch it like it has a role to play in what comes next, not just what’s happening now.

At 829 Studios, we help brands find that bigger narrative. Whether you’re in AI, sustainability, healthtech, or consumer innovation, we can help translate your work into media stories that stick.

Want to build smarter storylines for 2024? Let’s connect.