Public Relations Cover Letter Templates & Example

A PR cover letter is a pitch, and the reader knows what a good pitch looks like. The letter inside these templates opens with your specialty and a placements result by outlet, shows reporter relationships and writing range, and offers one story angle for the company — the line that proves you already think like their communications lead. Banner orchid, twotone amberslate, or monogram plum.

Three PR letters

Pick a letterhead; the letter inside is a pitch.

Banner in orchid for agency and consumer PR, Twotone in amberslate for corporate communications, Monogram in plum for senior and director-level applications.

Word Google Docs

Public Relations — Banner Orchid

A full-width color name banner in orchid, carrying the public relations letter — placements by outlet, reporter relationships, and one story angle for the company.

Download Word Open in Google Docs

Word Google Docs

Public Relations — Twotone Amberslate

A two-tone split header in amberslate, carrying the public relations letter — placements by outlet, reporter relationships, and one story angle for the company.

Download Word Open in Google Docs

Word Google Docs

Public Relations — Monogram Plum

The initials-emblem letterhead in plum, carrying the public relations letter — placements by outlet, reporter relationships, and one story angle for the company.

Download Word Open in Google Docs

Example · Public Relations

Public Relations cover letter example — the letter inside the template.

Read it in full

Morgan Reed

[Your Profession] · [City, State] · (000) 000-0000 · your.email@email.com

[Month Day, Year]

[Hiring Manager Name]
[Title]
[Company Name]
[Company Address]

Dear [Hiring Manager Name],

I am writing to apply for the [Position Title] role at [Company/Agency Name]. I am a public relations professional with [X years] of experience in [specialty — media relations, corporate communications, crisis communications, consumer PR] for [client or industry types], and the posting’s emphasis on [specific requirement — e.g., securing national coverage, building an executive thought-leadership program] is where my track record is strongest.

At [Current/Previous Company or Agency], I [a specific coverage result — e.g., secured 140+ earned placements last year including the Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, and NPR; led launch communications for a product that generated 2.3 billion impressions]. I maintain working relationships with reporters at [outlets or beats], I write quickly and cleanly — pitches, releases, bylines, talking points — and I have [handled a live crisis / managed an agency team / run a monitoring and measurement program in Cision or Muck Rack].

I am drawn to [Company/Agency Name] because [a specific reason — a campaign you admired, its client roster, its sector, a recent story about it]. I have thoughts on [one concrete story angle or opportunity you see for them] that I would enjoy discussing.

My resume and a selection of placements are attached. I would welcome the chance to talk about your communications priorities. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Morgan Reed

This is the actual text inside all three templates above — every [bracketed prompt] is a spot you replace with your own detail. Copy the template to keep the letterhead, or use the text as a sample for your own letter.

The communications director's read

What a public relations cover letter should say.

Communications leaders judge a PR letter as a writing sample and a pitch at once. Four things they’re reading for:

Placements, by outlet. ’140+ earned placements last year including the Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, and NPR.’ Volume and tier.
Relationships and range. Reporters and beats you work with; pitches, releases, bylines, talking points — and a crisis or a launch you’ve handled.
Tools and measurement. Cision, Muck Rack, Meltwater; how you report coverage and share of voice.
A story angle. One specific angle for the company, in a sentence. It’s the pitch inside the pitch — and the interview question answered early.

PR internship or entry-level communications? Campus media, a nonprofit you handled press for, and writing samples fill the placements paragraph — the internship letter shows the framing. Marketing generalists use the marketing letter. Pair with a marketing resume.

Pitch it

Fill it in.

Open a template in Google Docs or download the Word file.
Fill the [brackets]: placements by outlet, a launch or crisis you handled, tools, and one story angle for them.
Attach three placements or writing samples as links, export a PDF, and send.

PR questions

Public Relations cover letter FAQ

How do I write a public relations cover letter?

Specialty and a placements result by outlet in the first paragraph; reporter relationships, writing range, and a launch or crisis you handled; tools and measurement; one story angle for the company; the ask with samples linked. Four paragraphs. The letter above is that structure.

How do I write a PR cover letter with no experience?

Use what you've placed or written: campus newspaper coverage you secured for an organization, a nonprofit's press you handled, a blog or newsletter with readership numbers, class pitches that got picked up. Link three writing samples. PR hires on writing and hustle, both of which a student can show.

Should I include writing samples with a PR cover letter?

Link to them — three placements, releases, or bylines — in the closing paragraph. Attach only if the posting asks. The letter itself is sample number one, so proofread it like a release.

Is this template right for corporate communications or internal comms?

Yes — swap earned media placements for the communications programs you've run (executive comms, employee engagement, crisis response) and their reach or engagement numbers. The story-angle paragraph becomes a communications opportunity you see.

What tools should I mention?

Cision, Muck Rack, Meltwater, or whatever the posting names for monitoring; plus the measurement you report (coverage volume, share of voice, sentiment). One sentence.

How long should a PR cover letter be?

Under 250 words. It's a pitch; pitches are short.