---
title: "A Free HARO Alternative: Get Journalist Requests in One Daily Feed"
slug: "haro-alternative-journalist-requests"
type: "blog-post"
url: "https://automationbyexperts.com/blog/haro-alternative-journalist-requests"
date: "2026-10-04"
category: "Tools & Reviews"
tags: ["HARO Alternative", "Digital PR", "Link Building", "Journalist Requests", "Apify"]
read_time: 8
author: "Youssef Farhan"
---

# A Free HARO Alternative: Get Journalist Requests in One Daily Feed

> Since HARO shut down, journalist source requests are scattered across paid platforms and hashtags. Here is how to pull SourceBottle call-outs and #journorequest posts into one filtered, deadline-sorted feed every morning.

**Short answer:** the [Journalist Request Finder](https://automationbyexperts.com/apify/journalist-request-finder) collects open journalist call-outs from SourceBottle and #journorequest posts on Bluesky and Mastodon into one feed. It tags each request with the topics you care about, sorts by the soonest deadline, and on a daily schedule returns only requests you have not seen before. There is no login or subscription, and you pay per request returned, a fraction of a cent each.

For fifteen years, Help a Reporter Out (HARO) was the default way for experts to get quoted in the press and earn links from news sites. Cision shut it down, by then renamed Connectively, in December 2024. The brand was later relaunched by Featured.com, but the requests themselves are now spread across a dozen platforms, most of them paid, plus hashtags on social networks. This guide shows how to get them back into one place and how to turn them into actual coverage.

## Why answer journalist requests at all?

Because it is the most reliable white-hat way to earn links and mentions from publications you could never pitch cold. A journalist asks a specific question with a deadline; if your answer is useful and fast, you get quoted, often with a link. Those links come from sites with real authority, which is exactly what helps rankings. And for generative engines like ChatGPT and Perplexity, being quoted in reputable publications is one of the strongest signals that your brand is worth mentioning.

## Where do journalist requests come from now?

- **SourceBottle**, a long-running free call-out board with twelve sections, strong in Australia, the UK and the US.

- **#journorequest** on Bluesky and Mastodon, where journalists post quick asks, often with same-day deadlines.

- **Paid platforms** such as Qwoted, Featured and Help a B2B Writer, which charge monthly fees and each have their own inbox.

The Journalist Request Finder reads the public sources: every open SourceBottle call-out across all twelve sections, plus #journorequest posts on Bluesky and Mastodon. Many PR people use it as the free base layer and add one paid platform on top for high-authority targets.

## What does each request include?

- **Source** (SourceBottle, Bluesky or Mastodon) and a direct **link to respond**

- **Title** and the full **summary** of what the journalist needs

- **Requester name** and **type**: Journalist, Blogger, PR Pro, Event Manager, Podcaster or Author

- **Industry** section or the hashtag it was found under

- **Date posted**, the **deadline** (parsed and as printed), **days left** and whether it is still open

- **Matched keywords** from your topic list, and an **is new** flag for scheduled runs

- For social posts, the author's handle and profile link

SourceBottle call-outs carry an explicit deadline. Social posts rarely do, so they are treated as open for 30 days after posting.

## How do you set up a daily journalist request feed?

- **Open the [Journalist Request Finder](https://automationbyexperts.com/apify/journalist-request-finder)** and run it once with no input. A full scan finishes in under a minute and shows you what the board looks like today.

- **Add your topics** to **Your topics / expertise**, for example "cybersecurity", "personal finance", "small business". Use short root words: "finance" catches more than "financial services".

- **Switch on Only requests matching my topics** once you are happy with the matches, so the feed is just your shortlist.

- **Schedule it every morning** in Apify and switch on **Only new requests**. Each run then returns only requests you have never seen.

- **Send it where you work.** Connect the run to Slack, Google Sheets or email through Apify's integrations, Zapier, Make or n8n.

## How much does it cost?

$0.004 per request returned, and $0.005 for a request that matches one of your keywords, plus a negligible run start fee. If you only take matched requests and 30 arrive a day, that is 15 cents a day, about $4.50 a month. Compare that with $99 to $500 a month for a media request platform subscription.

The free Apify plan returns up to 25 requests per run, which is enough to try it. Scheduled daily runs with no cap need a paid Apify plan. You can [start it on Apify](https://apify.com/fayoussef/journalist-request-finder?fpr=youssef&fp_sid=abe_blog_haro) in a couple of minutes.

## How do you write pitches that get picked?

Finding requests is the easy part. Most pitches are ignored for the same few reasons, so avoid them:

- **Be fast.** Journalists often use the first few good answers. Run the feed early in the morning and pitch the urgent ones first; the feed is already sorted by deadline.

- **Answer the question in the first two lines.** Put your quotable answer first, then one line on who you are and why you are credible. No long intro.

- **Be specific.** A number, a named example or a clear opinion gets quoted. General advice does not.

- **Only pitch what fits.** Check `requesterType`: Journalist and Blogger rows are editorial; Event Manager and PR Pro rows are usually looking for products, prizes or sponsors.

- **Make it easy to credit you.** Give your name, title, company and the exact URL you would like linked.

If you have many requests, the [Bulk LLM Runner](https://automationbyexperts.com/apify/bulk-llm-runner) can draft a first-pass answer for each row of the exported sheet from your notes. Treat those drafts as a starting point and rewrite them in your own words; journalists recognise generic AI answers.

## Other ways to get quoted

Podcasts are a close cousin of press requests: hosts need guests every week. The [Podcast Guest Finder](https://automationbyexperts.com/apify/podcast-guest-finder) builds a list of active podcasts in your topic with contact routes. And to measure whether all this is reaching AI answer engines, the [AI Brand Visibility Tracker](https://automationbyexperts.com/apify/ai-brand-visibility-tracker) checks whether ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and others mention your brand.

## Frequently asked questions

**What is the best free HARO alternative?**SourceBottle and the #journorequest hashtag on Bluesky and Mastodon are the main free sources. The Journalist Request Finder combines them into one feed filtered to your topics and sorted by deadline, for a fraction of a cent per request.

**Is HARO still available?**Cision shut down HARO, then called Connectively, in December 2024. The brand was later relaunched by Featured.com, but journalist requests are now spread across several platforms and social hashtags rather than one inbox.

**Do I need a SourceBottle or Qwoted account?**No. The actor reads only publicly published requests and needs no login or API key. To respond to a SourceBottle call-out you follow its link and reply there.

**How much does it cost per month?**$0.004 per request, or $0.005 for one matching your keywords. A daily feed of about 30 matched requests costs around $4.50 a month. The free Apify plan is capped at 25 requests per run.

**Can I get only new requests every day?**Yes. Schedule the actor daily and switch on Only new requests. Each run then returns only requests you have not seen in earlier runs.

More outreach and lead sources are in the [lead generation hub](https://automationbyexperts.com/apify/category/lead-generation).

## Actors used in this guide

- [Journalist Request Finder - HARO Alternative for Digital PR](https://automationbyexperts.com/apify/journalist-request-finder): It puts live journalist source requests in one feed - pulled from SourceBottle call-outs and #journorequest posts on…
- [AI Brand Visibility Tracker - ChatGPT, Perplexity & Gemini](https://automationbyexperts.com/apify/ai-brand-visibility-tracker): It tracks whether AI is recommending you or your competitors - brand mentions, ranking position, sentiment, share of…
- [Podcast Guest Finder - Shows & Host Emails](https://automationbyexperts.com/apify/podcast-guest-finder): It finds active, on-topic podcasts that book guests - with the host's contact email ready for outreach. Search any ni…