They need me to point them in the direction of a good story, to succinctly give them the facts as I see them, the sources I have, and to then get out of the way so they can write their own stories. I do these things by writing good pitch letters. Here are some tips for writing good ones, letters that get read. Say Why You Are Writing Begin with your reason for writing. Often the reason for the letter is hidden several paragraphs into it.
Editors are busy.
If you don't give them an immediate reason to keep reading, your audience with them is over. Less Explain what makes your idea newsworthy. Why this is a good person to interview or a good story to cover. Describe your idea's relationship to current events, its connection to or beginning of a trend, or its likelihood to interest a broad cross section of the audience. Here's an exercise that can help you nail down a concise pitch.