HARO Partners with Outdoor Writers Association of America to Support Outdoor Journalists

September 17, 2025 — HARO (Help a Reporter Out) today announced its partnership with the Outdoor Writers Association of America (OWAA), the nation’s largest organization of professional outdoor journalists.

Recognized as “The Voice of the Outdoors,” OWAA represents writers, photographers, videographers, broadcasters, digital storytellers, and artists dedicated to covering outdoor experiences and conservation. Since its founding in 1927, OWAA has worked to enhance the professional skills of its members, uphold the highest ethical standards, and encourage public enjoyment and preservation of natural resources.

“It’s so great to have HARO back,” stated OWAA Executive Director and freelance writer Chez Chesak. “I can say that I’ve used the new HARO both as E.D. of OWAA and as a writer now and I’ve found success as both. We’re excited to bring this to our more than 600 vetted outdoor media members to connect them to just the right sources for their own work too.”

The partnership will provide OWAA members with streamlined access to HARO’s extensive network of expert sources, empowering journalists to find credible voices quickly and produce well-sourced stories that inspire people to enjoy and protect the outdoors.

About HARO
HARO (Help a Reporter Out) is a leading platform that connects journalists with expert sources across industries. By facilitating fast, reliable connections, HARO helps journalists produce credible, well-rounded stories while providing experts with valuable media opportunities.

About OWAA
The Outdoor Writers Association of America (OWAA) is a nonprofit professional organization representing more than 600 outdoor communicators. Founded in 1927, OWAA supports journalists through professional development, ethical standards, and community while encouraging the enjoyment and conservation of the natural world.

OWWA Linkedin

OWAA X

HARO Partners with South Asian Journalists Association to Expand Access to Expert Sources

September 15, 2025 – HARO (Help a Reporter Out)  announced its partnership with the South Asian Journalists Association (SAJA), a nonprofit dedicated to fostering community, professional growth, and nuanced coverage of the South Asian diaspora.

Through this collaboration, SAJA’s members will gain streamlined access to HARO’s vast network of expert sources, making it easier than ever to connect with credible voices for their reporting. The partnership underscores a shared commitment to supporting journalists, expanding access to expert perspectives, and amplifying diverse voices in media.

As a former journalist and Edelman alum, I’ve seen how helpful HARO’s mission of connecting journalists with expert sources is from both sides of the pitch,” said Kiran Khalid, Vice President of SAJA. “It’s an amazing resource that, frankly, has saved me from missing deadlines.

Founded in 1994, SAJA provides mentorship, scholarships, training, and networking opportunities for journalists covering South Asia and the diaspora. With this partnership, members will have new tools to strengthen their reporting and produce well-sourced stories that reflect diverse perspectives.

The partnership reflects HARO’s broader mission to strengthen journalism by connecting reporters with the right sources at the right time.

About HARO
HARO (Help a Reporter Out) is a leading platform that connects journalists with relevant expert sources. With a global network of professionals across industries, HARO enables reporters to access timely, credible insights that power great storytelling.

About SAJA
The South Asian Journalists Association (SAJA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting professional development, community, and the coverage of South Asia and the diaspora. Since 1994, SAJA has supported journalists through mentorship, scholarships, training, and networking opportunities. 

SAJA Linkedin

SAJA X

HARO Now Detects AI-Generated Responses

We know how important it is to trust the sources you quote. That’s why HARO has partnered with Pangram, an industry-leading AI detection tool built by researchers from Stanford, Tesla, and Google.

This partnership gives you more control and confidence when reviewing pitches. Starting now, you can:

  • Hide AI-generated responses. When submitting a query, just check “No AI responses” — and HARO will automatically filter out pitches flagged as likely AI-generated.
  • See AI Likelihood Scores. Every response in your Journalist Dashboard now includes a score showing the likelihood it was AI-written. You can also choose to “Filter Out AI Responses” entirely with a single click.
  • Operate with more trust. We’re actively banning AI abusers and spammy accounts — and this is just one more way we’re working to protect your time and improve pitch quality.

Want to see it in action? Submit a query today: helpareporter.com/submit-query

New Quick Response Feature for HARO Journalists

Journalists who put out a HARO query can receive a high quantity of submissions from sources, making it difficult to reply to everyone who submitted.

That’s why Help a Reporter Out just launched a new “quick response” feature to make replying to sources faster and easier.

From the Journalist Dashboard, journalists can now respond to sources with a single click—without revealing an email address to prevent unwanted follow ups.

We hope this Quick Response feature is helpful for journalists to reply to sources, and for sources to receive a status update on their pitch.

In addition, journalists can now bookmark their favorite sources for future stories. Try out these new features by submitting a query.

HARO Journalist Dashboard: View & Manage Queries

Help a Reporter Out has launched a new Journalist Dashboard to help you easily track and manage your HARO queries in one place. If you’ve submitted a query recently, you can view it — along with all responses — at helpareporter.com/view-queries.

Journalists are able to do the following on their Journalist Dashboard:

  • View all queries in one dashboard
  • Mute a query if sufficient responses have been received
  • Send a “quick response” to a source with a single click
  • Bookmark your favorite sources
  • View AI detection scores of a pitch
  • Mark a pitch as “unhelpful”
  • Report Spam
  • And, more

If you haven’t submitted a HARO query recently (or even if you have), we’d love to help you find expert sources for any stories you’re working on this week. You can submit one directly here: helpareporter.com/submit-query

Find Podcast Guests For Your Podcast with HARO

Help a Reporter Out now has a Podcasts category!

If you’re a podcast host or podcast producer looking to book guests for your show, you can now submit a query on HARO and connect with relevant sources.

Here’s how HARO works for podcasts:

  1. Submit a query that provides an overview of your podcast, and what types of guests you’d like to have on your show
  2. You’ll receive an email confirmation on when your query will be featured on HARO
  3. HARO will send your query to the largest list of expert sources via our 3x / day email newsletter
  4. Once the HARO goes out, you’ll start to receive pitches from potential guests via email
  5. Reply to who you’d like, and we hope that you get connected with great guests!

Alternatively, if you’re a source looking to be featured on a podcast, please sign up for HARO at www.helpareporter.com and monitor podcast queries via our newsletter.

Hope that’s helpful!

New: Pitch Feedback Tool for Journalists

Quality control, made simple.

After reading a pitch, you’ll now see the question: “Was this pitch responsive to your request?” Yes or No?

Every “No” triggers a manual review by our team. If a source consistently misses the mark, they’ll receive feedback — or be quarantined or banned, if necessary.

This helps keep your inbox focused on what matters: relevant, high-quality replies.

Better pitches start here.
— The HARO Team

Update: HARO is Back to 3 Emails Per Day

We’re back to full speed.

Thanks to continued growth and demand, HARO is now sending three emails per day — just like the original cadence you know and love. Expect a Morning, Afternoon, and Evening edition, so you never miss a great opportunity.

More queries, better timing, faster connections.

We’re just getting started. Sign up as a source at www.helpareporter.com, or submit a query to get connected with sources for your stories.
— The HARO Team

New: “Mute Query” Button for Journalists

Tired of pitches still rolling in after your query is already filled? We get it.

Help a Reporter Out now has a “Mute Query” button, so that you can now mute incoming pitches the moment your needs are met. Just click the button, and we’ll stop sending responses your way — sparing your inbox from unnecessary follow-ups.

It’s one more way we’re making it easier for journalists to get what they need, faster (and with less clutter).

Happy reporting!

PS – we’re working on a “Quick Response” feature as well that will allow journalists to send a response to sources with a single click, using one of four predefined templates.

Update: Hundreds of Spammy Accounts Banned from HARO, Forever

We’re keeping HARO clean.

Thanks to a combination of community flagging from journalists and our new spam detection technology, we’ve permanently removed hundreds of spammy accounts from HARO.

Forever.

Fewer bad actors means a better experience for everyone — more relevant pitches for journalists, and a more trustworthy platform for sources.

More signal, less noise.
— The HARO Team