HARO (Help a Reporter Out) was a free service that connected journalists needing expert sources with people willing to be quoted in articles. As of December 9, 2024, HARO and its successor platform Connectively have been permanently discontinued by Cision, the company that owned them. However, the HARO brand has partially survived: the helpareporter.com domain still operates with submission guidelines and query distribution, though in a more limited capacity than the original platform. Here’s how the system works and what you need to know if you’re looking to use it or find alternatives.
The Basic Model
HARO’s concept was simple. Journalists working on stories would submit queries describing the type of expert or source they needed. Those queries were then distributed to a large pool of subscribers, typically via email. Sources (business owners, professionals, academics, or anyone with relevant expertise) would read the queries and pitch their responses directly to the journalist. If the journalist liked a pitch, they’d use that person as a quoted source in their article.
For journalists, the value was fast access to real people with firsthand knowledge. For sources, the value was media coverage and backlinks to their websites, which can boost search engine visibility and professional credibility. No money changed hands between journalists and sources.
What Journalists Need to Qualify
Not anyone can post a query. HARO requires that journalists represent a credible media outlet with a live website, recent content, and a verifiable editorial presence. The outlet must have a minimum Domain Authority of 20 (a search engine ranking metric) or receive at least 10,000 monthly visitors.
Podcasts qualify if they’re published on a recognized platform like Apple Podcasts or Spotify, not just hosted on a company website. Social media posts can qualify too, but only from public profiles with at least 5,000 followers that demonstrate editorial intent. Medium and Substack blogs need at least 5,000 followers or subscribers. Student reporters can submit queries only if they’re part of an accredited journalism program with faculty endorsement.
Several types of content are explicitly banned. Queries can’t solicit guest blog posts, link exchanges, or backlinks. The published story must be freely accessible to the public, with no paywall. Journalists can’t ask sources for money, require pre-recorded video, or link to outside surveys or data capture forms. The HARO team reviews and schedules query submissions during business hours, Monday through Friday, and enforces a one-strike policy for guideline violations.
How Sources Respond to Queries
When you sign up as a source, you receive emails containing journalist queries organized by category. Each query describes what the journalist is working on, what kind of expertise they need, and their deadline. You scan through, find queries that match your knowledge, and submit a pitch with your response.
Your pitch goes directly to the journalist. There’s no guarantee of placement. Journalists on popular topics might receive dozens or even hundreds of responses to a single query, so standing out matters.
What Makes a Pitch Get Picked
The most effective pitches share a few characteristics. First, they directly answer the journalist’s question rather than pivoting to a sales pitch about a product or company. Journalists want quotable insights for their audience, not promotional material.
Lead with your credentials. If you’re a licensed financial planner responding to a personal finance query, say so in the first sentence. Journalists need to verify your expertise quickly, and burying your qualifications makes it easy for them to skip your response. Never misrepresent your credentials, as doing so results in a permanent ban.
Keep your response concise. Reporters working on deadline don’t have time to extract a usable quote from a 1,500-word essay. A few tight paragraphs with clear, specific information will outperform a rambling response every time. Including a link to a press page or professional bio in your email signature gives the journalist a fast way to confirm your background.
The Shutdown and What Replaced It
Cision rebranded HARO as “Connectively” in late 2023, then permanently shut down the Connectively platform on December 9, 2024. Cision shifted its focus to CisionOne, its integrated platform for media monitoring, analytics, and outreach, which is designed primarily for PR professionals and carries a subscription cost.
The helpareporter.com blog and submission guidelines remain active, and HARO-style query emails still circulate to some extent. But the full-featured platform that once powered the service no longer exists. If you had a Connectively account, Cision offers support through its customer service line.
Several alternatives now fill the gap HARO left. Featured.com, which is referenced on HARO’s own blog, offers keyword alerts that let you monitor relevant journalist queries. Other platforms like Qwoted, SourceBottle, and ProfNet connect journalists with sources using similar models. Some operate on a freemium basis, while others charge subscription fees for premium features like faster alerts or priority placement.
Is It Worth the Effort?
For small business owners, consultants, and subject matter experts looking to build media mentions and earn quality backlinks, responding to journalist queries remains one of the most cost-effective PR strategies available. You don’t need a publicist or an advertising budget. You need relevant expertise, a well-crafted pitch, and the discipline to respond quickly when the right opportunity appears.
The trade-off is time. You’ll likely pitch many more queries than you land. Response rates vary widely depending on how competitive the topic is and how closely your expertise matches what the journalist needs. Treating it as a consistent habit rather than a one-time effort tends to produce the best results over months.