Podcast: Eleni Kehagiaras on Sparking a Community Renaissance with Neighborhood Publications

Podcast: Eleni Kehagiaras on Sparking a Community Renaissance with Neighborhood Publications

by | Jun 2, 2017 | Industry News, Podcast, Public Relations

If there is one thing you can take away from this episode of PR Talk, it is that Eleni Kehagiaras is a print-first kind of woman. I mean it — her newspapers don’t even have websites. And in a digitally dominated media landscape where publications largely dole out homogenized content, only varying with the “takes” they provide, Eleni has made it her mission to reconnect to local storytellers with community-based businesses.

We don’t want to paint Eleni as someone who refuses to download the latest iPhone upgrade or get sucked into the Facebook wormhole, she just believes in something more. Or maybe she believes in something less — something more minimalist — a belief in stepping back from the information overload of digital platforms and engaging with the community on an intrinsically human level. I said it in the podcast, but I’ll say it here too: we are gasping for air when it comes to positive information, and publications like Eleni’s are our oxygen masks.

Eleni is staunchly addicted to people and connections, so when she heard about the possibility of creating neighborhood publications, she took up arms with N2 Publishing, a franchise-based community publishing conglomerate boasting 800 magazines across the country.

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The “Living” Situation

For the past two years, Eleni has acted as sole Publisher for Portland Heights Living and Moreland Living (covering the southeast Portland community of Eastmoreland), and Co-Publisher of Irvington Living and Laurelhurst Living. Keeping in mind that Eleni is the franchise owner of her two magazines, her role as Publisher is much more involved than it sounds. Beyond dealing with logistics and coordination with her parent company (N2 Publishing), Eleni organizes all of the content to bring the magazines together. While N2 handles the printing and distribution of the magazines, it’s clear that the meat and potatoes of the business fall under Eleni’s domain.

Ideal for clients who live or work in Portland Heights or Eastmoreland: Eleni recognizes that placing absolute editorial control on top of her managerial duties would result in a humungous work-load. As a solution, she involves students and members of the community to help out by sending in pictures and guest-written articles for the editorial side, along with business referrals for her advertising space.

Eleni says she is always looking for more content about each neighborhood, so if you have a client who lives or works in Portland Heights or Eastmoreland, send Eleni a pitch. To get your event listed in her publications, you’d better get it to her at least one month ahead, but if you’re a PR professional, you should be well on top of these kinds of deadlines already!

Earned Advertising?

Eleni takes thorough care in selling ad spots to the right businesses. In fact, she actually goes out and meets with neighborhood companies to make sure they do reputable work. She notes that her magazine’s reputation is on the line, so she’ll only advertise ethical businesses worthy of the referral. Eleni has even turned down advertising before because she was skeptical of their practices. If you’ve landed an ad in one of Eleni’s papers, take it as a compliment — you’re providing good service.

Beyond actually selling advertising spots, Eleni told us that she reserves one free ad per month for nonprofits. The nonprofit doesn’t even have to be based in the specific neighborhood, it just needs to have some degree of presence there, so keep that in mind, coverage-happy PR pro’s!

Eleni agrees with us that the “shotgun” advertising approach of getting your company in front of anyone and everyone is overkill. Instead, you should be focusing on targeted, hyper-localized advertising that generate quality leads, converting to meaningful and renewable sales. People don’t want to be told anything from businesses, she says, they want to know something from a business. That is what modern, digital-first advertisers are getting wrong.

“To have a source within your community where you can read and learn about your neighbors, and the businesses in front of you want to build community, it’s a whole different experience.”

Reaching Myriad Audiences in the Digital Age

Eleni takes a risk by being not just print-first, but print-only. She describes the challenge of learning how to put a publication together that suits to the 3, or even 4 different generations living in each neighborhood at one time. Eleni thinks that Millennials will “come around” to publications like hers because we (yeah, I’m one of them) have a natural tendency to want to pick things up. Eleni maintains that the younger children are really engaging with these papers too, due in part to her going into neighborhood schools so kids can partake in article projects.

Again, Eleni isn’t looking to replace digital media and she’s realistic that digital media won’t be going anywhere. Instead, she is looking to fill our nostalgic void for, and desire to return to, the community.

To those interested in getting into publishing, Eleni says that every generation is doing it in specific, different ways — like getting out there and producing blogs, vlogs and websites. Figure out what your comfort zone is and then see how you can most effectively reach people through that medium.

Eleni Kehagiaras has never thought of herself as a journalist. Her practice in writing is scientific and educational, so she admits that she needs another set of eyes on the “colorful, beautiful, fun to read,” articles. In fact, she thinks her papers function much better when she’s not doing the writing. And that’s the great thing about her operation — there are so many people helping out that they truly are community newspapers.

About the guest: Eleni Kehagiaras

Eleni Kehagiaras is Publisher of Portland Heights Living and Moreland Living Magazines, and Co-Publisher of Irvington Living and Laurelhurst Living Magazines. She holds degrees in Biology and Psychology from Portland State University. Eleni enjoyed a long and successful career in the health and fitness industry while also hosting a live daily radio show on health topics, during which time she was named one of the “Top Health Experts” to follow on Twitter by the Huffington Post. She is also Chair of Cardinal Families Health Action Network at Lincoln High School.

Connect and follow Eleni on social media:

Eleni Kehagiaras
Unlock the Mysteries of the Building & Construction Industry with Nick Bjork, Daily Journal of Commerce [Podcast]

Unlock the Mysteries of the Building & Construction Industry with Nick Bjork, Daily Journal of Commerce [Podcast]

by | May 10, 2017 | Digital Marketing, Industry News, Podcast, Public Relations, Resources

Celebrate with us at the DJC’s TopProjects party on May 18th. PR ChalkTalk subscribers get 15% off tickets with discount code: DJC.

For the real estate professionals, marketers or building enthusiasts reading this post, understand one thing: Nick Bjork is one of us. Currently the publisher of the Daily Journal of Commerce Oregon (DJC), Nick is responsible for the publication’s overall management, but he didn’t always work behind the scenes. His diverse background started on the Oregon coast, watching his father run a marine construction company. With the love of construction and public work instilled in him, Nick began his professional career as a reporter, including a stint at the DJC. Nick then transitioned into to selling residential real estate — he and Amy had fun reminiscing about their mutual real estate days. An advertising sales position brought Nick back to the DJC and he then took over as publisher in 2015.

Nick’s experience on both “sides” of the paper, as well as someone in the trenches and working in the industry, gives him unique insight. Nick points out that in real estate — especially residential, but commercial as well — decisions aren’t made exclusively on financial sense. Exterior factors like weather, mood, wall colors and relationships often play a larger role.

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The Pitch Opportunity:

If you want to reach anyone associated with the building and construction industry, the DJC is a great way to get in front of them. Its entire purpose is providing leads to the building industry.

To help narrow your focus, the paper has three main sections:

  1. Land use policy and new development — what’s coming up in the distant future.
  2. Architecture and Engineering — trends, what’s new, what’s happening, projects that companies are getting.
  3. Construction and Transportation — trends, watchdog reporting, contracting and permitting. Nick states this focus is really the “voice of the contractors.”

Reach out to the reporters directly based on their specific beat (more on this below).

About the DJC:

As the official paper of the City of Portland, the Daily Journal of Commerce (DJC) is the premier source for public notices, bid information and reporting specifically for the building and construction industry, also known as architectural, engineering and construction (A|E|C).

This largest public notice paper in the nation has been operating in Portland for 145 years. More often than not, when the government has to notify the public, they’ll run a notice in the DJC. They include things like: death notices for next of kin, foreclosures, auctions, government procurement for professional services, supplies or construction services above a certain dollar amount and notices of public bidding opportunities.

In addition to publishing three times each week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday), providing the printed content and additional features online and adding value through email newsletters, the DJC organizes several events. The largest, TopProjects, is coming up soon — May 18 at the Oregon Convention Center.

Celebrate the area’s best building and construction projects during the DJC’s TopProjects event on May 18th. PR ChalkTalk subscribers get 15% off tickets with discount code: DJC.

Celebrate the area’s best building and construction projects during the DJC’s TopProjects event on May 18th. PR ChalkTalk subscribers get 15% off tickets with discount code: DJC.

TopProjects

Coined “the Oscars for the building industry,” the 600 person event will recognize 95 finalists at the annual networking event celebrating the top industry projects of the year. Hurry before tickets sell out! The public is welcome to buy a ticket ($95) to join in a celebration that gets larger every year.

PR Tips:

Don’t just send a press release

We’re noticing a theme when asking our media friends for PR tips. They’re universally advising against just sending press releases. Nick did not sway from this sentiment, stating that their editorial content must live up to the DJC’s high subscription cost ($230/year). Meaning they won’t just run your press release. Sure, they’ll garner ideas and information from press releases, but 90 percent of their stories are sourced.

Ask them to coffee

Are DJC reporters really willing to take the time to sit down with PR pros? They’re game — as long as you take the time to understand their audience and research their stories. Ask them to coffee and see what amazing ideas can come out of a 15-minute conversation. But please keep it cool and don’t turn it into a pitch session.

“These guys are hungry for stories. They have to produce a lot of content a week.” — Nick Bjork

Be a thought leader

Bring them a timely story idea or industry trend along with an example of someone who is involved, who may just happen to be an executive in your company or your client. Show them how you’re doing something unique and/or being a thought leader in the industry.

Nick also notes that their multi-source journalistic style always examines all sides of an issue. The DJC doesn’t necessarily require breaking news, rather stories about how relationships or projects came together.

Become a contributor

There are opportunities to be a guest contributor to the DJC. Providing an opinion on a trend or column about the industry is a good way to reach DJC readers. Industry insider and relevant peripheral contributors are desired. Nick mentions accountants and lawyers as great examples of people that directly work with their readers, but also provides an example of an interview coach who isn’t specific to the building industry, but speaks directly to the bid interview process which many DJC readers are interested in.

In fact, they like to develop quarterly or even monthly relationships for editorial contributions…maybe something to approach during that coffee meeting you set up?

Where, when, who?

Where do they get their stories from? Besides those press releases that do occasionally lead to story ideas, DJC reporters attend lots of meetings (land use reviews, neighborhood associations) and permit requests/notices.

When is the best time to pitch them? Since they print three times a week, there are no specific days that are off limits or better than other times. Each reporter is responsible for writing one lead story (1,500 words) each week, so certain reporters may be harder to reach depending on the day. DJC reporters also tend to work a little further out since they don’t focus on breaking news. Also, like all media these days (see the clip from John Oliver below), their reporters are responsible for more than just their print articles — something else to keep in mind.

 

Who to pitch? As mentioned above, do your research and pitch the appropriate reporter. Here is the current focus and contact info for DJC reporters:

Chuck Slothower

Chuck Slothower

Development & Real Estate

Kent Hohlfeld

Kent Hohlfeld

Architecture & Engineering

Garrett Andrews

Garrett Andrews

Construction, Transportation & Building Technology

PR Pet Peeves:

Nick’s experience as a former reporter, turned publisher, gives him unique answers to our question about PR pet peeves. His tips include:

  • Don’t just tell us how great your company is. Tell us what you are doing that is interesting and unique. Or provide value with insight into industry trends.
  • Your sources don’t always have to be the president or spokesperson of the company. The DJC loves a hands-on perspective from experts in the field (e.g. an engineer that actually works on projects) that can provide a unique point-of-view.
  • Don’t try and pitch a story just about the company, but about a topic as an expert.
  • No more anonymous sources. Don’t bring it if you can’t be a source.
  • Exclusives and embargoes are annoying. Don’t bring them a story they can’t run!

 

Portland’s Daily Journal of Commerce is a direct route to the construction, building, architectural and engineering industries. If you pay attention to what their readers want, bring new angles and fresh perspectives, you can get your message across to a highly targeted audience.

About the guest: Nick Bjork

Nick Bjork is the publisher of the Daily Journal of Commerce. He oversees the day-to-day operations of the trade publication dedicated to the building industry in Oregon and Southwest Washington, and the company’s data product, DJC Project Center. Nick has spent the majority of his professional career at the DJC, starting out as a real estate development and land use beat reporter, followed by several years developing and selling new advertising products for the media company.

Connect and follow Nick on social media:

DJC Publisher Nick Bjork
Getting in the Portland Business Journal: Editor Suzanne Stevens Reveals How [Podcast]

Getting in the Portland Business Journal: Editor Suzanne Stevens Reveals How [Podcast]

by | Apr 20, 2017 | Digital Marketing, Industry News, Podcast, Public Relations, Social Media

If you ever wanted to get into the Portland Business Journal (PBJ), you MUST listen to this or at least read our write up of tips from PBJ Editor, Suzanne Stevens. She gave so much advice that I was tempted to pull out a pen and paper in the middle of the interview and start taking notes!

Connor and I had fun getting to know Suzanne on a personal level. Self-defined as someone with a bit of “wanderlust” who loves to travel, Suzanne has lived in places as varied as Louisville, Charlotte and New York. She spent 12 years working for NPR before entering print journalism, but once she exited radio she’s been “all print all the time.” An Oregon Business magazine editor position brought her to Portland — a town she’d been eyeing like many current transplants. She then came over to the PBJ where she first worked as the Digital Editor and is now going on year three as Editor.

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The Pitch Opportunity:

The Portland Business Journal is a weekly publication released each Friday that is revered by local business executives. Its email newsletters hit the in-boxes of movers and shakers throughout the city on a daily basis. Subscribers have the option of receiving more frequent newsletters focusing on a specific industries (Healthcare, Real Estate, Tech/Start ups).

Here’s an in-depth guide:

  • Reporter’s Pages: Each reporter’s weekly section highlights news within their targeted industries. There isn’t much room for PR pitches here.
  • Strategy: A weekly feature goes in-depth with stories and rotates among reporters. Bring story ideas for this section — it’s a great way to get covered.
  • Executive Interviews: Even though they have a list of 2,000 local business leaders they’d like to feature in this section, keep it in mind if you have a quirky business executive.
  • People On the Move: You can now upload these yourself here for digital coverage. We’re still debating whether or not this is the best way to get your executive news to also run in print though.
  • Digital Newsletter: Send your story to the relevant reporter, but also include digital editor, Andy Giegerich, so he can consider it for the email newsletter. “Include Andy on most things as he’s always looking for web stories.”
  • 5 Things to Know: Also handled by Andy Geigerich as part of the newsletter. This is great for “anything that is funky or weird that might never fly as a news story.” It’s also where you’ll read about events as they aren’t frequently included in the paper or other digital sections.

Competition is High:

On a “good day,” 200 emails await Suzanne in her morning in-box, but messages can reach upwards of 400. “That’s because I’m the editor. The reporters probably get 100 new emails per day,” Suzanne clarified. Make no mistake — the majority of these emails are from PRs! Everyone at the PBJ knows what they want from us, too — they even wrote an article about PR do’s and don’ts!

Breaking Through:

Suzanne loves PRs who do their homework to understand what the publication covers and to get a handle on what each reporter writes about. Best practice? Know who covers each beat and include a pitch about why the PBJ should cover your idea.

Suzanne explained the multitude of new product releases flooding her inbox that lack broad appeal. “Thousands of companies are releasing new products in Oregon. Why would we write about that?” Instead, Suzanne advised adding details like expanding staff, additional funding or bigger industry trends to catch their attention.

Nut Graphs:

“Sell your story in one paragraph [less than 300 words],” Suzanne advised. “We’re looking for the ‘nut graph,’ which tells readers what’s coming if you stick with the story. We want to know if it impacts the business community.”

Exclusive Content:

The prospect of exclusive content gets the PBJ really jazzed. If you haven’t already blasted your news all over town, you might consider contacting the PBJ first and offering an “exclusive.” But if the PBJ accepts, your story can’t be placed in other media outlets — so you might float the idea by your boss or client first.

5 Reporters & 5 Beats:

Suzanne receives many pitches that are irrelevant to her role at the PBJ, but everyone makes it a daily practice to give all emails a cursory glance. Suzanne seems to be very easy going, considering how busy she is, and is happy to pass emails on to the right reporter. However, she’s careful to state that she doesn’t assign stories. “My seasoned staff know their beats better than I do.” More specifically, here’s when you’d email Suzanne:

  • You can ‘cc her if you’re worried that a busy reporter won’t see it, and she’ll pass it on.
  • Send Op-Ed or Guest Column ideas to her or Eric Siemers. “We love getting these written by business owners on a topic of interest in the news.” Best to send the pitch first before investing time in writing the article.
  • Still not sure whom to send your pitch to? Five reporters cover five primary beats, explained in detail on PBJ’s website.

Timing is everything:

Suzanne generously added that she’s happy to talk through ideas, provided you call at the right time. Here’s a typical week at the PBJ:

  • Mondays & Tuesdays: Reporters are writing and planning the stories for that week’s paper.
  • Wednesday: Deadline Day! This is the worst day to send an email and absolutely DO NOT CALL as the newsroom is getting the paper ready for Friday’s publication.
  • Thursday: Planning and writing day. Suzanne meets with reporters to strategize next week’s stories. This is a better day to call.
  • Friday: Paper is in print. Reporters are working on next week’s stories. This is a better day to call.

Throughout the week Suzanne is editing what comes across her desk, helping reporters organize upcoming stories, and planning future coverage.

Truth be told, getting business journal coverage can be tough. But if you remember to do your research and customize your materials before contacting them, you’ll not only increase your chances, you won’t inadvertently kill your future pitches as well. Oh, did you think newsrooms didn’t talk? Don’t be the person who sends the irrelevant pitches or calls excessively. Trust me, they will all know.

About the guest: Suzanne Stevens

Suzanne is editor of the Portland Business Journal, overseeing the newsroom and guiding all news operations.

Connect and follow Suzanne on social media:

PBJ editor Suzanne Stevens
Dream Teams Collide with Mike & Amy from 99.5 The Wolf [Podcast]

Dream Teams Collide with Mike & Amy from 99.5 The Wolf [Podcast]

by | Mar 29, 2017 | Industry News, Podcast, Public Relations, Social Media

Mike & Amy Interview Mike & Amy from 99.5 The Wolf

Mike Chase & Amy Faust from the popular radio station, 99.5 The Wolf, have been darlings in Portland’s country music scene for decades. It was more than just their catchy names that made Mike & Amy Rosenberg unable to resist inviting the two of them on the podcast. The Portland mainstays are so popular that when KWJJ’s national headquarters sent down an order to let the pair go from their morning show post in an attempt to save money, the results were devastating. Portlanders boycotted the station, major sponsors pulled out and the station lost money. It didn’t take long for the powers-that-be to admit their mistake by offering the show back to Mike & Amy. Way to go Portland!

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Yet the pair still remains humble. You’ll quickly gather this while listening to the interview, which is chalk full of the typical Mike & Amy banter along with their background, how working in country music has deepened and changed them, tips with real examples for PR pros, what they do in their off-time — like raise children, run Mile Post Media, help refugees and appear on Portlandia.

If press releases and talking points have you too busy to listen to the full episode, here’s Mike & Amy’s insight for PRs

The Pitch Opportunity:

The Mike & Amy ShowMike & Amy star on the morning show of KWJJ’s 99.5 The Wolf, Monday through Friday, 5:30 – 10 a.m. Their producer, Brook, who appears on the show quite frequently with traffic reports and more is also ripe for the pitch. Amy suggested sending a pitch to all three of them. This is not overkill; it ensures they all see it as they work as a team.

Mike & Amy’s tips for PRs:

Although I’m pretty sure this didn’t result as a PR pitch, a magical example is this story about how a few local emergency responders got their tires slashed while helping people during Portland’s snowpocalypse. After this happened the radio hosts went through their “mental list of partners” and immediately thought of Les Schwab (duh). The endeared tire company quickly said yes when asked to give the victims free replacement tires. Mike produced this video telling all about it.


An astute PR person could have easily recognized this need and brought in their tire client. However, it’s hard to pay attention to the news, what with all the press releases we have to write ????. No, this doesn’t make any sense as that is our job, so it’s more likely that our clients can’t keep up with our quick wits (we’ll just keep telling ourselves that to feel better), so here are some proactive measures you can take:

  • Identify a need ahead of time and get your client involved. The hosts can play it out on the air like they were just thinking about it. “There isn’t anything wrong with creating a bit of a show if the ultimate goal is to help someone,” said Mike.
  • Think about what’s it for the radio station, and that means what’s in it for the listeners. The audience comes before the radio station in priority.
  • Don’t just send a product without any back story, they won’t do anything with it. There is always a story. “If you send us a doughnut, let us know if it was made by veterans. Think beyond the doughnut,” said Mike.
  • Always tying in a community or charitable aspect to every pitch is the most basic thing you can do. But drill down into the details. The story, and necessary radio content, is in the details.
  • Call the number that people call when trying to get on-air if its really timely: 866-239-9653. “We might do it!”

Like most people these days, the team prefers email over calling. But its easy to skip an email so Amy advised sending pitches through old-school snail mail. Since they don’t get too much mail anymore, it’s sure to stand out. Whether or not they’ll talk about it on air comes down to a story that involves “humor and heart,” according to Mike.

“Create something that is more than a press release. Everyone is looking for content. Give us something that will work for us to talk about. We’ll never cover just a new product,” said Amy.

Here is a great line that Mike said to sum it up: “We want ideas, stories. We don’t want press releases.”

If voice-overs and portfolio reels have you too busy to listen to the full episode, here’s Mike & Amy’s insight for media wannabes:

When Mike brought the morning show opportunity to Amy, she didn’t have any radio experience and still hasn’t received any formal training. The inherent talker is comfortable letting her work husband “run the board,” which sounds really important and techy so I’m not even going to try to learn what this is either. I’m with Amy!

Another dreams-do-come-true story that Mike mentioned was that Daria from 94.7 had created such a good rapport from calling into the station that she was able to 180 her lifeguarding career into a full-time radio gig on 94.7.

If you are worried about being pigeon-holed into a specific genre, don’t be. Mike has worked at all types of stations from Top 40’s to alternative rock as the first morning show guy at 94.7. He says that sticking to just one genre isn’t necessary. Just be careful not to offend different groups of people, which Mike has done with his loud mouth.

The pair go into detail about learning a new audience and understanding points of reference that may be counter-intuitive. This topic is valuable for any marketer who works with multiple demographics. “If you ever [stray for a minute outside of] your social group, you can’t help but expand as a person,” said Mike. He’s engrained himself so deeply into his audience that he was honored to be the best man in a listener’s wedding. “It’s not really a job, we connect with people through our show.”

About the guest: The Mike & Amy Show

Mike Chase & Amy Faust have been hosting a daily radio show on 99.5 The Wolf for nearly 20 years in Portland. Loyal listeners love their easy banter and quick wit.

Connect and follow The Mike & Amy Show on social media:

The Mike & Amy Show
Double Dog Dare featuring KGW’s (NBC) Cassidy Quinn [Podcast]

Double Dog Dare featuring KGW’s (NBC) Cassidy Quinn [Podcast]

by | Mar 15, 2017 | Industry News, Podcast, Public Relations

The secret to getting coverage from KGW’s (NBC) Cassidy Quinn is to DARE her!

We recently had the privilege of sitting down with KGW’s lively Cassidy Quinn as our first media guest on Veracity’s ChalkTalk podcast. This hour of gab is full of engaging stories about Cassidy’s life as a busy media personality for three KGW shows and country music station, 98.7 The Bull. Cassidy walked us through her busy schedule, giving real examples of what works and what doesn’t work for PR. The general public would even be entertained to hear funny TV stories and learn how this “weird social media kid gets a job at a TV station and doesn’t get fired.”

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If press releases and talking points have you too busy to listen to the full episode, here’s Cassidy’s insight for PR pros:

The Pitch Opportunity:

Cassidy reports live entertainment segments on KGW’s weekday 11 a.m. (Portland Today) and 7 p.m. (Live@7) shows, does traffic for KGW’s 4 p.m. show and fills in doing whatever else is needed in terms of reporting for the station. Cassidy is also a weekday radio show host for 98.7 the Bull. In her spare time, she posts three different videos (vlogs) on her YouTube channel each week. We don’t know about pitching the vlog, but it’s good to support her by subscribing to it and get a feel for how you’d build up a rapport with her — possibly providing small talk banter for those long “hurry up and wait” TV times if you ever get to go out on a shoot with her.

It’s helpful to realize that Portland Today has a little bit of a different focus than Live@7. While they are both entertainment shows, Portland Today aims to bring their audience a learning opportunity or something to take away from each segment. Whereas Cassidy’s Live@7 segment is called “PDX Tonight” — so she’s covering something that’s happening that night — think parties, concerts, events, sports, etc.

Cassidy Quinn interviews SEMpdx

Cassidy’s thoughts on PR pros:

Cassidy says that she actually likes PR people. She has to organize ten live shots per week, “a ridiculous amount of segments when you think about it,” and relies on PR people to help some of them run smoothly. She especially likes working with the same PR people multiple times because the relationship that forms creates segments that appear effortless.

Cassidy’s tips for PRs:

Cassidy receives hundreds of pitches from earnest PR folks like us each day. Make sure your email stands out with these tips from Cassidy:

  • Clearly list the date of your event towards the top of the email.
  • A straight-forward “who, what, where, when” format works best.
  • A subject line that’s to-the-point helps her search in her inbox later to access the information.

Sending multiple emails on the same topic is not a bother. It’s fine to send an idea early but it needs to be followed up on, like the week before, because Cassidy is not planning her schedule months before your designated date.

Cassidy Quinn's PR Tips

Cassidy’s PR Pet Peeves:

Don’t try to make the news coverage you’ve just landed into a commercial. “We still want to be journalists and control the content.” She says that talking points are helpful but understand if she can’t get to every question or may stray off your designated topic.

She doesn’t want to retrain people she’s already worked with on the nuances of working with TV. Things like needing visuals — for example showing food or someone cooking at a restaurant — and needing close parking for the live shot truck are consistent requirements that do not change.

“Calling a million times is not enjoyable,”

Cassidy jokes while noting that email is best. Prying led us to discover that she doesn’t even really check her desk phone. Her work cell phone is where you might get a text message to her about something practical, like parking details, if you are already doing a live shot with her. She said that sending a short, quick pitch via text is okay but it should also be delivered via email as well.

If voice-overs and portfolio reels have you too busy to listen to the full episode, here’s Cassidy’s insight for media wannabes:

Cassidy frequently mentioned that she didn’t have any experience in news media, leading us to wonder about the requirements for landing a media personality job. She said that the reasons people are able to secure media jobs these days are changing. While still important, its not just about experience anymore. Personality can actually help newbies land media jobs even if they don’t have much experience.

If the person is able to adapt and learn new things, such as new technology and social media, they’ll have an easier time getting in. Cassidy points to her role as a traffic reporter. “I’d never reported on traffic before in my life and so far its worked out OK.”

A gentle caveat is that while Cassidy is optimistic about the newcomer’s chances of landing a gig like hers, she is distinctly talented, whether she recognizes it or not. Plus, there aren’t too many of these openings to go around. So at Veracity we’re happy with the press release-pitching, talking point-wielding side of things. And we don’t know why you wouldn’t be too.

About the guest: Cassidy Quinn

Cassidy Quinn reports on events going on around town on KGW News at 4 and Live at 7. She is also a video blogger (check out her YouTube Channel) and late-night FM DJ, who loves sports, travel, and technology, and is a bit addicted to social media.

Connect and follow Cassidy on social media:

Cassidy Quinn