The Washington Post treats broadcasting as a business, policy, and power story — not a TV listings desk. Pitches win when they carry a document, a number, or a named decision-maker.

This guide covers editorial scope, how to read the The Washington Post Broadcasting reporters list, and how to earn a reply from a newsroom that gets hundreds of pitches a day.

WaPo's broadcasting coverage sits at the intersection of media economics, regulation, and politics. Expect stories on network and cable news, streaming losses, station ownership, FCC rulemaking, and retransmission fights.

The newsroom's DC location shapes the beat: Capitol Hill hearings, antitrust review, and FCC votes are home turf. Sports rights, political ad spending, and local TV consolidation also get steady play.

What rarely lands: product reviews, celebrity booking news, and "show launches" without a business or policy spine. Bring a conflict, a dollar figure, or a regulatory hook.

Jeremy Barr is the anchor of the beat — media reporter covering Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, streaming strategy, and ownership turmoil. Read his last ten bylines before you send anything.

Niha Masih is primarily a breaking-news and international reporter; broadcasting stories may reach her through global media regulation or platform angles. Verify beat fit before pitching.

Peter Stevenson appears in directory listings — confirm his current remit through recent bylines, since video and broadcast-adjacent roles shift quickly. Treat the The Washington Post Broadcasting reporters list as a starting map, not a final answer.

The Washington Post Broadcasting journalists respond to accountability framing: who gains, who loses, who approved it. Lead with the consequence, not the company.

Strong angles include station-ownership consolidation, retransmission fee disputes raising consumer bills, streaming profitability math, and political ad spending by station group.

Data beats adjectives. Offer Nielsen or Comscore numbers, Kagan or Pew Research baselines, SEC filings, or FCC public file records — and name the source in the pitch itself.

• Regulatory hook: FCC docket, antitrust review, or congressional hearing.
• Money hook: Deal value, carriage fees, ad revenue, subscriber losses.
• Labor hook: Union negotiations, layoffs, anchor contract disputes.
• Accountability hook: Document showing a gap between public claim and internal reality.

There is no public pitch form for this beat. The reliable route is a direct, short email to the individual reporter, sourced from verified directory listings or the reporter's own published contact signals.

Do not guess addresses and blast them. A bounced or misaddressed pitch costs credibility with a beat that remembers names.

Use the The Washington Post Broadcasting journalists contacts in your directory, then re-verify each one against a recent byline, LinkedIn profile, or Muck Rack entry. Note the role, last verified date, and whether the reporter prefers email or DM.

Keep the pitch under 150 words: one-line hook, why now, what you can provide, and a clear ask. Offer exclusivity with a deadline and honor it.

Follow up once, 48 hours later, with a single new fact — never "just checking in." Respect DC working hours and avoid Friday afternoon sends.

• Confirm the reporter actually covers broadcasting this quarter.
• Lead with the regulatory, financial, or accountability stake in sentence one.
• Attach nothing; paste the data point inline.
• Name a willing, on-record spokesperson and their title.
• State exclusivity and an explicit expiration.
• Include one line of "why now" tied to a real calendar event.
• Log the send, the follow-up, and the outcome in your directory record.

Pitching this beat rewards precision over volume. One verified contact, one document, one clear stake — that is the pitch that gets read.