Newspaper and magazine reporters frequently change jobs, even if it’s to earn a piddly $30 more a week at a competing publication. The TV and radio industries are in flux, too, as stations are bought and sold more quickly than items on eBay. So how can you stay on top of all the major developments on the… Read More
Media Relations
USA Today reporters list also offers their articles
Thanks to Fox News reporter Jeff Crilley, for reminding us in his free ezine that Publicity Hounds can find a handy list of all USA Today reporters, along with articles they’ve written. This is a huge time-saver because once you know which reporter you should be pitching, you don’t have to search for articles they’ve written. Once advantage… Read More
Forbes.com editor offers 6 pitching tips
I’m starting to sound like a broken record: Read the magazine, read the magazine, read the magazine before you pitch. If you want to make it into the online version, read the website, read the website, read the website. PR people still don’t get it. So says Forbes.com Editor Paul Maidment. He says almost no one—can… Read More
Writing press releases: 9 out of 10 miss this critical element
One of the most valuable elements of a press release—a link that lets the reader click through to a website—is missing from 9 out of 10 press releases submitted to BusinessWire.com, one of their own press releases says. I find that statistic difficult to believe. But based on the press releases that people email to me, I… Read More
Small newspapers prospering, so contact them now
Amid all the grim news we’ve been hearing about the demise of big-city newspapers, some small newspapers are sitting pretty. An article at WashingtonPost.com says that while the Internet is transforming the largest papers in the business dramatically—siphoning classified advertising and commoditizing national news—many small papers are weathering the decline with relative ease, and some are even prospering.… Read More
Doing TV interviews? Don’t overuse the reporter’s name
The best sales people address a person by name when trying to sell them something. But if a TV reporter is interviewing you, don’t overdo it. That’s the advice from Michigan TV reporter Shawne Duperon. “During a live interview, if you keep repeating the reporter or anchor’s name, it can sound and look really weird.… Read More
Wall Street Journal editor explains how to get into the paper
If you want the Wall Street Journal to write about your company, one of the most important things to know is that the paper doesn’t feature businesses just for the sake of writing about companies. “Your pitch should have a news hook or some creative idea behind it,” says Richard Turner, marketing and media editor for… Read More
How newspaper layoffs affect you
Have you been reading the headlines about the newspaper industry recently? Because I used to work in it, I have. And it isn’t pretty. Declining circulation and ad revenues are forcing many newspaper companies to lay off editors, beat reporters, newsroom clerks, photographers and anyone they can do without. I conducted a telephone seminar yesterday for people in The… Read More
Oprah’s magazine: A secret for getting into it
Here’s an inside secret on how to get into O, Oprah’s wildly popular magazine. Be willing to wait up to two years before the editors review your pitch and say yes. That’s right—two years! If you’re willing to stay the course and stay in touch with the magazine, you’ll have a huge advantage over most… Read More
Craigslist gives reporters story ideas galore
One of my favorite resources for story ideas when I worked as a reporter was my own newspaper. I’d turn to the classified ad section and read the categories marked “Miscellaneous,” “Wanted” and “For Sale.” Quite often, I’d find an interesting classified ad that would then lead to a phone call to the person who placed it, and… Read More