Please don't do this when a journalist has emailed you...
This is such a small (AKA basic) tip but honestly it can stop a journalist from almost having a breakdown, help you build a stronger relationship with journalists, and also increase your chances of press coverage.
When a journalist contacts you, whether it’s to ask for an interview with the chief executive, to request a case study, to ask for information on the company, or for images – basically WHATEVER – please please, for the love of god, tell us you’ve seen the email and are on it/can’t do it/or whatever the answer is. Don’t leave us hanging. Even if there’s a deadline in there, “Hi, we’d like to feature the brand in a round-up, can you send information over by next Friday?” still tell us that email has landed and that can or can't do it. You may be scurrying away in the background organising that press request, but just tell us that. We're not mindreaders.
Last week I had to chase an organisation that I was already working with on a piece THREE times to check that the email had come through and they could make the deadline. After much fingerbiting/swearing/pulling my hair out (ok, some hyperbole there), they finally responded but if I had the opportunity to work with another company, I would have done (and I know the avoid them in the future). Another time, I didn't hear back from another PR and contacted another. Several days later, the first company came back to me and said they could set up an interview. It was too late. And look, I know someone can easily write the exact same newsletter focused on journalists. I know we can ignore emails, especially when our inbox is swamped. But from a journalist perspective, it does mean that if I don’t hear back, I’ll turn to another company, or another PR agency. I also know that I don’t want to work with an organisation again if it has been hard work. Repeatedly chasing and chasing wears you down (and I know you're in the same boat - I am too with new editors I pitch).
So, don't leave us hanging. Tell us you’ve seen the email, that someone is on it and you’ll get back to us in a certain timeframe. That’ll make us calmer and will leave our nails intact.