79 episodes

How does one “earn” media coverage? What makes a story “compelling enough" for a reporter to cover it? Through thoughtful conversations with the journalists themselves, Britt and Jackie leave no stone unturned in their humble quest to make pitching less daunting and more….human! 

We Earn Media Britt Klontz & Jackie Lambert

    • Business
    • 4.9 • 27 Ratings

How does one “earn” media coverage? What makes a story “compelling enough" for a reporter to cover it? Through thoughtful conversations with the journalists themselves, Britt and Jackie leave no stone unturned in their humble quest to make pitching less daunting and more….human! 

    79: Pitch a Holiday Shopping Roundup with Heather Taylor (GoBankingRates)

    79: Pitch a Holiday Shopping Roundup with Heather Taylor (GoBankingRates)

    Today’s guest writes for a major finance publication that we see all over Qwoted and HARO, and is heavily syndicated and featured on Apple/Google News, Yahoo, MSN, AOL, and more. Today we’ll learn the kinds of stories a high-volume online publication writes and what exactly they need from publicists to complete their stories. We’ll start with analyzing a pitch for a seasonal shopping roundup then dive into media queries. You’ll walk away with sharpened knowledge of digital media strategy and utilize it to come out ahead and earn those syndicated features for your client.

    In this episode, you'll learn…


    The types of stories a high-volume finance publication wants to publish


    What to include in a seasonal shopping roundup pitch


    Why consistent persistence matters (even if you’re just past the deadline- follow up!)



    Our guests:


    Heather Taylor is a senior finance writer for Go Banking Rates. And the head writer and brand mascot enthusiast for PopIcon, Advertising Week’s blog dedicated to brand mascots. She has been published on HelloGiggles, Business Insider, The Story Exchange, Brit + Co, Thrive Global, and more.

    • 42 min
    78: Pitch a Captivating Story for a Local Audience with Checkey Beckford (NBC 4 NY)

    78: Pitch a Captivating Story for a Local Audience with Checkey Beckford (NBC 4 NY)

    Most journalists we talk to tell us they get way too many pitches. When we were told by today’s guest that she’s experiencing the opposite problem, we knew we had to investigate! Today we learn all about local news and how to identify and tell a story that captivates a local audience. Hear about 2 real stories by a local NYC non-profit (and on the flipside a mention of the all-too-many “missed opportunities”) and walk away with inspiration for how to identify a story and sharpen your own storytelling skills.

    In this episode, you'll learn from a local TV journalist…


    What makes a good, local news story


    How newsrooms, producers, and journalists choose the stories they cover


    How TV has adapted (and continues to adapt!) to a digital audience



    Our guests:


    Checkey Beckford is an Emmy® Award-winning reporter for NBC 4 New York. She covers breaking news and general assignment stories

    • 49 min
    77: Make Your Expert “Front and Center” with Brittany Sykes (Publicist)

    77: Make Your Expert “Front and Center” with Brittany Sykes (Publicist)

    Do you ever come across an article that features an expert and only that expert throughout the whole piece? With curious envy, do you wonder how that story came to be? Well, today we’ll find out! We talk shop with a fellow publicist and industry friend who owns her own boutique PR firm. We’ll break down a story that features her client front and center and learn how that story came to be. From it, you’ll leave inspired to ideate stories that are interesting and culturally-relevant, allowing your client or brand’s expertise to fully shine!

    In this episode, you'll learn how a self-employed publicist…


    Finds inspiration for winning story ideas and pitches


    Strategizes a solid media outreach strategy


    Measures and communicates to her clients

    • 49 min
    76: Pitch an Alcohol Brand with Amanda Schuster and Kara Newman

    76: Pitch an Alcohol Brand with Amanda Schuster and Kara Newman

    Today we have a special episode. Instead of one guest, we have two! Catch a glimpse of two industry friends being candid on what it’s like to work in food and wine media. You’ll learn about what works and doesn’t work when promoting a food/beverage brand. Gain insider knowledge to take your food and beverage PR strategy from OK to great, in this latest episode.

    In this episode, you'll learn…


    Important editorial concepts (like short-lead and long-lead!) and PR tactics (like events) used by food/drink professionals


    Common mistakes food/drink publicists make


    What makes a good story in the food/drink media industry

    • 49 min
    75: Pitch A Contributed Article with Luz Corona (ADWEEK)

    75: Pitch A Contributed Article with Luz Corona (ADWEEK)

    Ever wonder how some experts get to share their expertise through contributed articles in big, industry outlets? In this episode, we chat with a community editor whose job is to vet these kinds of pitches. Tune in to this episode if you want to understand the ins and outs of pitching contributed content on behalf of your expert.

    In this episode, you'll learn…


    How a real contributed article came to be from pitch to publish


    How to ideate a contributed article that editors want


    What elements are needed in a contributed article pitch



    Our guest:


    Luz Corona, Community Editor at ADWEEK. She oversees the Voice section, the opinion column featuring perspectives from advertisers, marketers, influencers, and tech professionals. She also moderates interviews and panels, and co-hosts the flagship podcast, "Yeah, That’s Probably an Ad."

    • 49 min
    74: Media Training 101 with Joni Sweet

    74: Media Training 101 with Joni Sweet

    Today’s episode is all about media training. Our guest is a freelance writer (a repeat guest!) who has interviewed all sorts of experts and has a LOT of great insight into how we can all do better during this important part of the media relations process. Listen to this episode and walk away with new-found confidence and actionable tips needed to turn your good media training skills into great ones.

    In this episode, you'll learn…


    Actionable tips to turn any expert into a great interviewer


    Common mistakes made by experts (& publicists!) during interviews


    How publicists can be better collaborators throughout the interview process



    Our guest:


    Joni Sweet is a freelance writer who focuses on travel, health, and wellness. Her work has been published by TIME, National Geographic, Forbes, SELF, Health magazine, Lonely Planet, TripSavvy, Real Simple,Yoga Journal, Frommer’s, and dozens of other publications.

    • 36 min

Customer Reviews

4.9 out of 5
27 Ratings

27 Ratings

Lea DeRosa ,

Great Insider Tips for PR Folks!

Jackie and Britt do a great job of bringing on the right guest to help PR folks learn what writers and the media are looking for. Even if you are a seasoned PR person there’s still tips to be learned here. Highly recommend this podcast!

Brdrgrrrl ,

Too many cooks in the kitchen, lots of digressive chatter

I wish I got more out of this promising podcast. The two hosts talk over each other, digress into content unrelated to the topic (referencing non business content from earlier episodes which doesn’t enhance the current conversation), talk about pet peeves which they then confess to or demonstrate within the podcast (minimally preparing their sources for a professional appearance when the audio of this podcast is itself variable, full of ambient, distracting noise). Im a journalist who values soundbites and efficiency in a podcast, direct questions and take aways, within a conversational model like a podcast especially when offered from PR professionals. I’ve listened to 3 episodes now and the delivery as described above is sadly consistent. I ‘m not learning enough to justify the distraction I experience as a listener. The hosts could be more decisive as to who asks which question, present an outline from the top of the conversation to keep listeners and themselves progressing, and agree to not reference stuff the listeners can’t see. There are plenty of duo host podcasts that work, the hosts of this one can learn from those for keeping things moving with streamlined, topic or guest specific conversation.

alexa lampasona ,

Essential for all PR pros!

I LOVE this podcast! Such useful and tangible advice that I can takeaway right after the episode and implement. I believe all PR pros should listen to this, you’re getting the key tips you need to be more deliberate with pitching. Thank you Britt and Jackie!

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