journalist-fit-check
Gate a pitch against one journalist at a time. Runs the pair through proven media-relations checks (last-10-bylines audit, 90-day topic sweep, beat-vs-angle-vs-one-off, the 5 forms of journalism, source-mirror, stated-preferences, database triangulation) and returns fit, soft-fit, no-fit, or unknown with a real recent anchor and specific edits.
Profile →npx skills add elvisun/newsjack --skill journalist-fit-check --agent claude-code
Same command for any agent — swap --agent for codex, cursor, copilot.
Weekly change comes from our own snapshots, not the repository page — it measures attention, not adoption.
What it does
Gate a pitch against one journalist at a time. It runs the pair through checks (last-10-bylines audit, 90-day topic sweep, beat-vs-angle-vs-one-off, the 5 forms of journalism, source-mirror, stated-preferences, database triangulation) and returns fit, soft-fit, no-fit, or unknown with a real recent anchor and specific edits.
How it works
- Accepts one journalist identifier and one pitch plus optional context inputs (current_time_iso required).
- Retrieves the journalist's recent work from medialyst when logged in or host-agent-search otherwise, and looks for an anchor article within the last 90 days.
- Applies the Checks to judge relevance, timing, and format, then determines a verdict (Fit, Soft-fit, No-fit, Unknown).
- If an anchor is found, returns the anchor details; otherwise returns Unknown per hard gates.
- Produces a verdict with a confidence score between 0 and 1 and, for Soft-fit, 1–3 concrete edits tied to the anchor article.
When to use it
Use when the user asks whether a specific journalist is a fit for a pitch, wants a pre-send relevance check, tries to add one journalist to a media list, or asks "should I pitch this person?".
What it can touch
- Inputs: journalist identifier, pitch, current_time_iso, optional context (client_or_subject, decay_stage).
- Retrieval: medialyst or host-agent-search, plus possible cache if provided.
Caveats
- Requires current_time_iso; missing date triggers Unknown (as per gates). Cannot identify journalist if no author page or recent article; then Unknown. Slop tells in pitch yield Unknown. Anchor must be real, dated, linked within last 90 days; otherwise Unknown. If most recent verifiable article is more than 90 days old, Unknown.
# Journalist Fit Check This is the **Journalist Fit Check** skill inside newsjack.sh. It is the gatekeeper. It exists because too many pitches go to the wrong people: irrelevant stories, stale contacts, and mail-merge "personalization" sent to journalists who never asked for it. It checks **one journalist and one pitch at a time**, and gives you one of four answers: - **Fit** — pitch this person, the match is real. - **Soft-fit** — close, but the pitch needs a few specific edits first. - **No-fit** — wrong person, do not pitch. - **Unknown** — not enough solid evidence to say yes or no. Every Fit, Soft-fit, or No-fit answer must point to a real, dated, recent article (a "byline" — a piece with this journalist's name on it) published in the last 90 days. No real recent piece, no confident answer. This skill is blunt on purpose. It will not soften a no or pad a maybe. A clear, specific answer beats a polite one. ## Boundaries - Do not build media lists. - Do not rank journalists against each other. - Do not send anything. - Do not keep or trust a contact database. - Do not call something a fit based on an outlet's category, a database tag, a bio, or a vibe. - Do not make up articles,
- Boundaries
- Required Inputs
- Retrieval
- The Checks — how to judge fit
- 1. The Last-10-Bylines Audit — beat verification
- 2. The 90-Day Topic Sweep — recency / decay gate
- 3. Beat vs. Angle Preference vs. One-Off — the three-way read
- 4. Format Match — the 5 forms of journalism
- 5. Source-Mirror Check — who they trust
- 6. Stated-Preferences Read — the journalist's own words
- 7. Database Triangulation — three axes before a yes
- Anti-patterns these checks catch
- Step-By-Step Flow
- Step 1 — Identify the journalist
What does the journalist-fit-check skill do?
Gate a pitch against one journalist at a time. Runs the pair through proven media-relations checks (last-10-bylines audit, 90-day topic sweep, beat-vs-angle-vs-one-off, the 5 forms of journalism, source-mirror, stated-preferences, database triangulation) and returns fit, soft-fit, no-fit, or unknown with a real recent anchor and specific edits.
How do I install it?
Run `npx skills add elvisun/newsjack --skill journalist-fit-check --agent claude-code` — it drops the skill into your project so the agent can pick it up. Swap the --agent value for codex, cursor or copilot if you use one of those.
Where does this skill come from?
From elvisun/newsjack, a repository with 620 stars. We read it straight from the repository tree rather than a submitted listing, so what you see here is what is actually published.
Is a popular skill a good skill?
Not necessarily. Stars measure attention, not adoption — a repository can trend for a week and be abandoned. That is why we show the weekly change from our own snapshots next to the total, instead of a single flattering number.