At Violet PR, we spend a lot of time helping clients tell powerful stories about how their communities are growing and changing. But in today’s fast-moving media landscape, how do you actually get those stories covered? 

To find out, we went straight to the source. 

Last month, Violet PR’s president April Mason hosted a webinar with Holly Moore, executive editor of Axios Local, and Alayna Alvarez, reporter for Axios Denver. With more than 2 million subscribers across 34 cities—and more expansion on the way—Axios Local is shaping the future of community journalism. 

Here are our top takeaways from the event for economic development professionals who want to get news coverage: 

Build Relationships, Not Just Pitch Lists 

Both Moore and Alvarez agreed: a personalized connection makes all the difference. Journalists are inundated with emails. If they’ve had coffee with you, chatted on Zoom, or know you’re following their beat, your pitch is 10x more likely to get read. 

“The emails I can’t ignore are from people I’ve actually spoken with,” Alvarez said. “Even a quick intro call helps.” 

Think Like Axios: ‘Smart Brevity’ and Why It Matters 

Axios is known for its Smart Brevity format—bold headers, quick bullets and clear takeaways. Want to really impress them? Format your pitch that way. Highlight why the story matters to their local readers, and reference similar stories they’ve already covered. 

“The why it matters is the most important part,” said Moore. “That’s what makes a story worth telling.” 

Use Data (and Strong Visuals) 

Axios loves numbers and visuals. Whether it’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data, local wage trends or sustainability metrics, journalists want to see credible, surprising stats. 

“A good data set can spark a national story,” Moore told us. “We love anything that connects local trends to bigger narratives.” 

Strong visuals—especially photos that offer a rare inside look—may also even drive an entire story. So, be sure that these are not an overlooked portion of your pitch package. 

Want National Coverage? Tie Local Stories to Big Trends 

Local stories can go national when they reflect broader shifts—remote work, immigration, tariffs, sustainability, and artificial intelligence (AI). Axios looks for regional entities bucking national trends or leading the way in emerging sectors. 

Recent examples? 

• Colorado Springs named a top city for tech talent. 

• Denver’s growth in living-wage jobs. 

• Regional impacts of China tariffs, localized with hard data. 

AI Isn’t Replacing Journalists, It’s Helping Them 

Alvarez shared how she’s using AI tools like ChatGPT and NotebookLM as research assistants: summarizing court documents, brainstorming local angles on national issues, and even turning reports into mini podcasts to help digest complex content. 

“AI helps me think through problems in new ways,” she said. “But every fact still has to be checked.” 

Pitch Early, Follow Up Smartly 

Do you have an announcement or report coming out in a few weeks? Now is the time to pitch. Each Axios Local site publishes five stories a day—if you can help them lock in a great one early, you’re doing them a favor. 

And yes: phone calls and even texts are welcome, especially once you’ve built a relationship. 

Positive News Is News 

Yes, they’ll cover hard stories. But Axios Local is actively looking for stories that bring readers joy and hope. That’s part of what builds trust with readers—and PR pros who can bring those “smile-worthy” stories to the table are especially valued. 

“We want people to feel good at the end of our newsletter,” Alvarez said. “We look for a smile every day.” 

Axios Is Expanding – Even to Smaller Cities 

With 2025 launches in places like Boulder, Huntsville, and Kansas City, Axios is redefining what local journalism looks like—one curated newsletter at a time. That means more communities have a shot at national-quality coverage, even those without a strong daily newspaper. 

Final Thoughts 

As PR professionals working in economic development, we know how much thought goes into crafting the right message. This conversation with Axios confirmed something we’ve long believed: When you match strong relationships with strategic storytelling, your message travels farther and lands more powerfully. 

We’re grateful to both Axios reporters for sharing their insights—and we’ll definitely be putting these best practices to work for our clients. 

Want Help Pitching Your Next Big Story? 

We know what reporters want, because we work with them every day. So, let’s chat—reach out today at hello@violetpr.com. 

Also, as a reminder, you can tune into the recent webinar by clicking here or viewing the below.