Questions for Journalists – June 2015

Journalist blogEach month we have been reaching out to journalists and media professionals to chat with them about their experiences in the industry. This month’s ‘Questions for Journalists’ features Knowlton Thomas, the Managing Editor of Techvibes.

knowltonthomasKnowlton Thomas
Managing Editor, Techvibes
@knowltonthomas

 

 

 

What platform do you prefer to be pitched on?

Email. It’s where I spent the most time, so it’s easiest for me to track. If you try pitching me on social media, for example, it’s more likely to get lost in the noise, and it’s harder for me to follow up on. Everyone is trying to disrupt email, but in terms of initially reaching out to someone, I believe there’s still no better way. It’s been this popular this long for a reason.

If you could only write about one thing for the rest of your career, what would it be?

This is a tough question. I think writing about anything too much for too long can leave a sour taste in your mouth. That said, technology is a good area to be writing about because it’s constantly changing, so there’s a good ebb and flow to the variety. Whereas writing about sports, for example, could maybe get pretty monotonous. And monotony will suck the passion out of anything.

What advice would you give to PR professionals about working with journalists?

Journalists are people. That means we’re all different. The easiest trap for a PR person to fall into is this formulaic, machine-like way of trying to get their news covered, because it seems efficient in theory. But forget the short-term goal for a moment and focus on the journalist: who are they, what do they like, how do they work? Knowing the answers to these questions is the first step toward developing a mutually beneficial relationship. Don’t pitch us. Start a conversation with us.

Thanks, Knowlton!


 

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Header Image Credit: Niclas / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

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