Don't Always Blame This On The Journalist
I grimace when I spot a typo, a grammatical mistake or another kind of error in my published work. Of course, the eagle-eyed amongst you will probably spot one or two in this newsletter, and I can just about live with that. But it's not just my own errors that can really erk me. Recently one of my case studies spotted that 10 years had been shaved her age. I was sure I'd included her correct age. I checked the filed copy. I had. Phew. In another piece the owner of a company grumbled that his company was named incorrectly. Mortified, I checked. Again the slip up hadn't been my fault. I was bewildered that somehow errors had somehow actually been injected into my copy. Of course I emailed the editor who apologised and the mistakes were rectified.
I just wanted to point this out for the next time you're emailing a journalist about an error in an article because there's a very strong chance it's not their fault (unless you know they're the chief writer, sub and editor, and then it's down to the fact that they're simply understaffed).
I don't mind people emailing when they've spotted an error but don't assume it's down to the journalist. And remember, journalists generally don't write headlines. Maybe that's a whole other newsletter.
Thanks for reading.
Susie
Consider This When You're Organising A Press Trip
I know many journalists will still fly to go on press trips but I do know some people are reducing their flights. I think if you're going to invite hacks abroad at least offer to cover alternative means of getting there.
I was impressed last week when a press trip invite landed in my inbox offering to pay for journalists to travel to the exhibition (Norwegian Presence) in Oslo by train. Agency Zetteler emailed to say the team would be travelling to London to Oslo by train (already earning my respect as fellow environmentalists) and invited journalists to join them on the adventure, throwing in a link to Seat 61 and outlining that from London it would be 3-day, 2-night stop-over journey via Paris, Brussels and Copenhagen. Flagging up that they had partnered with Byway Travel to manage the whole journey for everyone, no matter where they were travelling from (not all journalists live in London), they even said if people wanted to come by any other means of public transport, they would cover that too.
Bravo team Zetterler. Readers of this newsletter will probably know this would capture my attention. I've flown once (when I suddenly had to leave Berlin when borders were closing in the midst of the pandemic) since 2018, when I really started to understand the climate emergency we're in. I understand this isn't possible for everyone (what with families and relationships abroad), but for me, I think now I will only fly if there's no other way to get there, really (anyone else fancy travelling to America by cargo ship?!).
The invite came on the back of a story I just wrote about people giving up flying. Funnily enough I was invited to a press trip to Nigeria the very next day.
Now I know many journalists will still fly to go on press trips but I do know some people are reducing their flights. I think if you're going to invite hacks abroad at least offer to cover alternative means of getting there. There's lots of talk from companies about how they're trying to be green etc, and a lot of it is greenwashing, but actually stepping up and offering an alternative to flying just proves how much you truly mean it.
Also, I wrote about this initiative a few years back but while I'm here, it's worth mentioning Climate Perks, a scheme that works with climate-conscious employers to offer at least two paid “journey days” per year to staff who travel on holiday by train, coach or boat instead of flying. Perhaps one to encourage your company to sign up to.
Thanks for reading.
Susie
Don't Lose A Press Opportunity This Way
Hi everyone
Hope you're all enjoying February.
If I can't find a press email address on a company's website, one thing I regularly do is tweet the business (if it's an active account) to ask for a number or email for press enquiries. Often I receive a response, some times it might come through a week or so after I fired off that tweet, and many times no one responds. Obviously there's other ways I might contact the company – finding the CEO on LinkedIn, for example – but if you or your client do have active social media accounts, it really is worth them checking in on them regularly. With a lack of response to their general email address, this week I contacted a company via Twitter for a media email address for a potential interview for a BBC article and pinged a message to the CEO on LinkedIn. It's very likely in the next few hours I'll just find another company, meaning they've lost a great press opportunity.
Two week's today I'll be running my first in-person workshop in London in two years. Fancy learning more about how you or your client can boost your press coverage? Join us in London on February 24.
And remember if you can't make my workshop, you have until end of February to secure 10% off my online course, Lessons from a Journalist: How to Secure Press Coverage. Just enter the code Winter10 at the checkout. ps If you have attended the same-name workshop or webinars, you're entitled to 50% off my course. Just drop me an email and I'll sort it out for you.
Thanks for reading.
Susie
Homage To The Wonderful Press Officers Out There
Hi everyone
I hope January has been kind to you.
Recently I've worked with a couple of standout press officers who have really gone over and beyond what I've asked for. For example, I was in touch with one organisation as a leftfield way of sourcing case studies and within hours she sent over a bunch over from her organisation, two of which ended up working for two separate pieces. In another email, I simply sounded her out about if she'd heard of any dairy farmers who'd turned vegan or started working in the vegan industry. Soon enough she whizzed over several strong case studies and threw in her own extra pearls of wisdom. As she's been such a joy to work with and I've now written about the organisation several times, we're looking to go for a beach walk together soon (she lives in Margate, which helps - as you know, I find it hard to go for coffees/have meetings due to time, but actually this will be very much be an good strong equal relationship).
The other superstar PR is the press officer of a climate organisation who has been an absolute gem in helping source case studies (non of which were directly from her own bank) but several times now she's contacted potential case studies on my behalf, sent over mobile numbers, and planted seeds of information for where to look for other case studies. Honestly, when you're struggling for case studies, acts like these are god-like.
Those press officers have gone beyond the call of duty and it has paid off. I'm now regularly quoting the first one (obviously only where relevant) and the second one I'm now planning to include in a forthcoming article for a national.
Thanks for reading.
Susie
How To Make A Journalist Happy
Hi everyone
Happy January. I hope you're enjoying the start to the new year.
About four years ago I listened to a talk by moral philosopher Peter Singer at Hay Festival where he posed the question: what would you do if you saw a young boy drowning in a pond? Well, of course, if you're physically able to you'd try to save him, wouldn't you? But then, he asked, if we know millions of children are dying as a result of say poverty or malaria worldwide every year why aren't we saving them? It was a thought-provoking question. And so this was Singer's powerful introduction into the subject of effective altruism – doing the most good you can do – and exploring one of the ways you can help achieve that: by pledging to donate a significant portion of your income (usually 10% or more) to effective charities, ones where your money goes the furthest in terms of helping people, namely by saving lives.
His talk stayed with me. I bought one of his books at the festival, signed up to donate to effective charities (through an organisation called GiveWell), lined up an interview with Singer himself, and wrote an article for the Observer on people who have pledged to donate 10% or more of their income for their working life. Admittedly I've not signed the pledge myself (honestly as a result of not affluent enough with a career in journalism but there's people on lower incomes than I who have committed) but I've kind of been obsessed with the movement ever since and have knocked out pieces about it for the i newspaper and more recently the BBC.
I'm bringing this up as recently Giving What We Can (GWWC), the organisation which people pledge through and who helped me source the great case studies, emailed me after the BBC piece had gone live to show me a chart of the people who had signed up the pledge as a result of reading the article. In a world where you're fervently working away on an article, which might garner perhaps with the odd retweet and share, before you're busy squirrelling away on the next, that email lightened up my day and made it feel all worthwhile. More often than not us journalists never really find out the results of our articles so to receive an email that highlighted what had happened after it had gone into the ether was really heartwarming. I thanked them for sharing that.
I covered the organisation in a Guardian piece at the start of this year and again GWWC sent me a quick email to say people had joined after reading the piece. Now I don't expect journalists would want continual updates and about anything (for example, if they'd written about a new retail POS system and 20 independents had bought it as a result of their piece - and I'm not knocking that as I used to cover the retail industry - or rather if a lawyer's website had received 2,000 hits thanks to that divorce piece in the Telegraph), but I do think sometimes – when it calls for it – to share a strong reaction to a piece, especially when it might make them feel fuzzy inside, would be appreciated. In a world of gloom, showing us why we do what we do despite the low pay and so on, can be wonderful, and also beneficial for relationship building too.
Thanks for reading.
Have a great week.
Susie
Merry Christmas (Whatever That May Look Like!)
Hi everyone
Well, it got me. In a cruel twist of fate, just in time for Christmas too. Damn! That'll be the second festive season away from my parents; their presents from last year will remain here another year (they're quite heavy hence taking them on the train).
Still, I'm far from the only one spending Christmas alone and I'm turning to a positive mindset and attempting to seek out joy every day in get me through. Yesterday I fell in love with Cindy Gallop after watching a video of her cutting through all the bullshit surrounding women's bodies, dating, and sex, and tuned into Katherine May's podcast about hiking with Cheryl Strayed, author of Wild. Like lying in a big bubble bath. Anyway, today I enjoyed brunch on the terrace with the sun shining. Thankfully I have a mountain of work to keep me occupied too. Not sure about you but I find it impossible to be bored.
In more positive news, I wanted to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who has read the newsletter, messaged me, forwarded the newsletter to new subscribers, and generally supported me over the past year. As always, I really do appreciate it.
I'll still be working over the Christmas period but best to steer away from pitching me until January as I have my hands full with a number of commissions which is a nice position to be in, especially it can often be a famine at this time of year.
I wish you all a healthy and safe Christmas and a wonderful new year.
Thanks
Susie
When A Brilliant Pitch Lands...
Hi everyone
I hope everyone is well and has avoided THE COLD (I've been hit by three colds and a chest infection over the past two months...woe me!) and Covid so far this autumn.
Earlier this month I received an interesting, unique pitch from a PR which caught my attention. I can't always respond to emails very quickly due to the sheer number that fly in, but I'd met this PR at one of my workshops a couple of years back from which we'd always had a friendly email correspondence. Her email was sat in my flagged emails for a couple of weeks at least but when I had a quiet moment last week I was able to respond.
Due to being a newsletter subscriber too she was able to inject a personal and friendly slant to the email. But the pitch itself caught my eye as it was unique and different (and not directly about her client's business) - I personally hadn't seen a piece about the subject matter in the titles I write for. Straight away I could see myself pitching a few publications on the back of it. There was a strong headline accompanying it, which was in the subject line too. Catching my attention I told the PR I really liked the idea and that I'd try pitching a certain title, which I did shortly afterwards - using a similar headline to the PR and adding my own take on the angle too. And then moments later the editor commissioned me. Voila!
I just wanted to highlight how a strong headline and a personalised and a distinctive pitch (which I know a lot of you do already) rather than press releases (which form the bulk of my inbox) can land to coverage. I'll flag up the pitch in my workshops.
Enjoy the rest of the week.
Thanks
Susie
Avoid Doing This To A Journalist...
Hi everyone
Hope you're all doing really well. I'm feeling inspired and invigorated after spending a week up in Glasgow for COP26.
I talk about relationship building heavily in my workshops (one coming up in London on December 16 – details below) and my course, but I was just reminded to bring it up after I chased and chased an external PR over the past month. And then again this week. While 'ghosting' is a term often flung around in more dating circles, it's happening more and more in the professional sphere too (I'm sure you're always on the receiving end of it from journalists too). It took several emails to grab the attention of the press team, then once they told me they'd look into the enquiry and come back to me, they ignored the rest of my emails. It wasn't at all a critical story where they might have thought the ignoring tactic might make the journalist disappear, but I was mystified as to why the PR did not respond (I did also try to call). It was only when I cc'd in two of her colleagues that she finally came back to me (blaming the client, of course). I know we're all busy but ignoring a handful of emails doesn't make for good relationships.
Thanks
Susie
Remember To Include This In Your Emails To Journalists
Hi everyone
Hope you're well.
Remember when you're pitching or answering a ResponseSource to explain what your or the company you represent actually does. I often receive emails eagerly replying to a call out with things like 'CableRA' can comment on this and then detailing the ways they can get involved. Or similarly just people introducing their companies to me by email and yes with a handy hyperlink but not providing any description as to what the business is. A description is such a simple (and necessary) point to add and can mean the difference between a time-poor journalist just deleting your email (as you know some of us are receiving hundreds a day) and choosing to respond to another email which has explained what kind of company it is you're talking about.
Some good news: I'm back on the road again! Well, I've just booked to hold my first physical PR workshop in London in almost two years on December 16. I hope some of you can make it. Please do share with your teams or contacts. I'm holding it in north London as it's a much bigger space than my previous London venue.
Also, if you can't make it, fear not. There's LOADS of tips throughout my online course, Lessons from a Journalist: How to Secure Press Coverage, which is packed with detail on everything from how to write a successful press release to interesting ways to build relationships with journalists. There's now 10% off the course. Just enter the code Winter10 at the checkout*.
Also, head below to check out the AMAZING email I received (without any prompt!) hours after a PR enjoyed a successful Power Hour with one of the brilliant journalists in my network.
Have a lovely rest of the week.
Thanks
Susie
ps If you have attended the same-name workshop or webinars, you're entitled to 50% off my course. Just drop me an email and I'll sort it out for you.
Hold Off The Caps Lock
Hi everyone
Hope you're well.
A very small simple tip this week: please use lower case letters when referring to job titles in press releases and in comments sent over to the press. Maybe your clients cap it up, maybe you have a personal preference, but anyway, it's another bugbear for journalists (yes, you know there's a big list out there). It just makes our lives easier when we're cutting and pasting from press releases and so on. Also, look out for other terms that don't need to be capped. For example, I often see the seasons unnecessarily in capital letters.
I'm looking into roaming the country again with my physical workshops and I wanted to sound out if attending workshops in person is something people feel comfortable with or would you prefer to learn online? Also, if anyone wants a session for their group, team, community, please let me know. And, if you know of any affordable spaces do let me know as I feel Covid-19 means I need bigger spaces than some of the ones I have booked previously and they tend to be £££.
Have a great rest of the week.
Thanks
Susie
How Not To Handle Phone Calls
Hi everyone
Hope you're well.
Firstly, thank you so much for your kind messages and support after my last email. Many of you shared your own personal experiences of brain fog and fatigue, showing clearly that there's definitely a kind of pandemic burnout hanging over us. Or indeed, long Covid.
I've wanted to talk about phone calls for a while. I was prompted to cover the subject earlier in the week after a PR left me a voice message. Now I know cold pitching is god damn hard, never mind when you're trying to sell in a story over the phone and I note it's often the younger PRs encouraged to do this. Now in the most recent voicemail left by a PR I couldn't even tell you what she said, who she was, or where she was calling from. She clearly wanted to get the call over and done as soon as possible, but it just left her message completely incomprehensible.
Another thing to be beware of is the length of the voicemail. Often I have messages from PRs that are three minutes long. THREE MINUTES. No one should leave a voice message that long. And often what I'm hearing is a whole press release being read out to me. "Hi Susie, I'm calling from x. Our client is launching a new solutions tool to create the perfect hybrid office." I know many experienced PRs don't do this, but just to say, please don't come across as robotic or as if you're reading from a press release. If you need to leave a voice message pitching in a story, and to be honest, no one really does for me (I don't work on a news desk), make it brief, interesting, and get to the point quickly: why should I be writing about it?
Have a great rest of the week.
Thanks
Susie
An opportunity to hear from City journalist Alex Lawson
Hi everyone
Hope you're keeping cool in this sweltering weather.
Just a small newsletter this week before I head off to Latitude festival (shout if you're going too!).
If you're interested in finding out what kind of stories City journalists are after, I have a very useful pre-recorded webinar with the lovely Alex Lawson, senior City correspondent at the Mail on Sunday, available for you to watch.
Costing just £9.99, over the duration of the webinar Alex discusses:
* How and when best to pitch him
* What kind of stories he's interested in
* Other parts of the business section companies and individuals should target
* And much much more
I've known Alex for about eight years and I really think it is worth watching if you're a PR.
You can sign up for the webinar here.
The good news is that if you're a subscriber to my paid newsletter, the webinar will be completely free and you'll have access to it next week. You can join my paid-for newsletter for as little as £5 a month. You'll receive 10% off my course and a free ebook when you sign up.
Thanks
Susie
What Not To Do In A Media Interview
Hi everyone,
I hope you're having a great week.
A while back I was interviewing a CEO for a profile interview slot. Let's say the person was the boss of a savings app. Towards the end of the interview, I asked her what her ultimate savings goal was. A very simple question. "Erm, erm,” she stuttered. “Well, nothing really. Maybe a holiday.” I pressed further but she was stumped. It was a dry answer to what overall had been quite a dry interview. There was no excitement at all.
Tip: It might be difficult to inject a sparkling personality into your clients, but please try and ask them to sound enthusiastic.
I'm bringing this up as I'm pleased to say that next month media trainer, podcaster and speaker Guy Clapperton will be joining me for a webinar on media training. During the session on July 16, Guy will explore:
how to deliver clear and engaging messages whether you're on TV, radio, a podcast or being interviewed for a print article
what kind of preparation you should do before an interview
how to talk about statistics in an interesting way
You'll also have the opportunity to ask Guy any burning questions (feel free to email me any questions below and we can include it in the session).
The webinar is aimed at both those who are new to speaking to the media, and those wanting to brush up on their interview techniques, whilst hearing first-hand about what works for a journalist. It's open to founders and PRs (and your clients) so feel free to swing them the link.
Those attending will also receive a special discount when booking any future media training workshops with Guy.
The webinar will be recorded so even if you can't make it live, you'll be able to watch it again at your own leisure whenever you like.
Tickets are just £19.99 – which is an absolute steal for media training.
For more info and to book, head here (do send on the link to anyone you think might be interested). The session is just £15 for paid newsletter subscribers (simply email me if you'd like to jump on board).
I'd be grateful if you could mention it on any social media sites groups you're on!
Thanks
Susie
Come Join Me For A Webinar With Digiday
Hi everyone,
First off, what a lovely reaction to my paid newsletter which I announced earlier this month. Thank you. The paid newsletter will land every other Thursday, which means subscribers receive a newsletter from moi every week. I've also added an annual subscriber fee which works out cheaper than paying every month.
Whether you're based in the UK, US or Kenya, if you or your client are an expert, then you don't want to miss next week's paid newsletter where I'll be discussing a brilliant opportunity to be involved with the Guardian and The Times.
This isn't a #journorequest or anything like that. It's an opportunity to give you or your client more exposure and gravitas both nationally and globally. I've also provided contacts so you can jump on these opportunities straight away. Here's how you can subscribe to find out more next week.
When you sign up to the newsletter you'll also receive details of a really exciting new national small business section with press opportunities for you or your client, plus a free ebook and 10% off my course.
In other news, I'll be hosting a webinar with Digiday Future of Work editor Jessica Davies on June 17. Costing just £10, the session will last for around an hour and there'll be plenty of time for your questions. It's also recorded so if you can't make that time, you'll still be sent the webinar afterwards. Paid newsletter subscribers will be able to attend for free (and will be sent details in a future newsletter). You can sign up here.
Thanks
Susie
I'd Love Your Help To Keep My Newsletter Going
Hi everyone,
More than a year has passed since I started writing this newsletter a couple of months after outbreak of Covid-19 here in the UK. Created at a time when I lost a lovely regular Guardian slot and saw much of my work disappear including my in-person workshops, the newsletter has continued to give me a sense of ownership during what's been a rollercoaster period.
The newsletter has evolved over the past year - in content and subscribers - but with that comes commitment. Kudos to anyone reading who has a newsletter; you'll knows how much time can be spent on each edition (not forgetting the backend work, which I pay someone to help me with). Recently I've had to think about its future and I've come to the decision that I need to make the newsletter financially viable and part of a sustainable business model.
I know from the stats and the messages and support you've shown me, whether that's on social media or direct to me, that most of you read the newsletter (phew!), and importantly, enjoy the newsletter and find it useful.
This has led me to the decision to launch a paid-for newsletter. Don't worry, though, the free newsletter will continue to be published every two weeks but will be a slightly trimmed down version of what you've been receiving. At the same time, paid subscribers will not only receive the newsletter but much more content from me and other journalists on how to secure press coverage and build relationships with journalists land in their inbox (including two forthcoming FREE webinars with The Drum and Digiday), plus 10% off my Lessons from a Journalist course (saving £19.99), and a free copy of my 17 Insider Tips on Pitching to Journalists During Coronavirus ebook, and discounts on any further events.
I hope many of who are able to and in a position to will be able to pay to receive extra useful content from me, which will help make the whole of the newsletter more viable. In doing so, you are also supporting me and my journalism. As you know, the industry is taking a battering, but your support means I can also spend more time creating purposeful journalism.
How you can help the newsletter continue:
Subscribe to the paid newsletter. For the price of a couple of coffees/green teas (or whatever your tipple is) or a cinema ticket per month, you will receive:
Access to more exclusive and insider PR tips, opportunities and need-t0-know news and content from me - including how I source my case studies - to help you understand what journalists want and how to land the best press coverage for you or your client
Interesting and informative guest posts from other journalists to help widen your perspective on securing media coverage and understand how to pitch them
Two FREE webinars with The Drum and Digiday editors
Discounts on future events and 10% off my course
Heartfelt gratitude that you're helping the newsletter continue and you're supporting journalism
(PS don't forget that you should be able to claim it as a business expense.)
How you can help me for free:
Share this newsletter with others. Could you forward the sign-up link to your team, your friends, and post about it on social media? It might seem small and it doesn’t cost a thing, but it’s a HUGE help for me.
Tell me how this newsletter has helped you. If this newsletter has ever helped you in some way, please let me know about it either by replying directly to me or adding a testimonial to my social media channels.
Thank you for your support.
Have a great rest of the week.
Susie
When You Shouldn't Email A Journalist
It can happen at 9pm on a Friday night. 12pm on a Sunday. 4pm on a Saturday. What's happening at these leisurely and sociable hours, you might ask? Yoga? Drinking with pals? That might indeed be the case, but what I'm specifically referring to are emails from (some) PRs and founders landing in my inbox. A press release about a new flavour of popcorn. A campaign that's about to launch. Perhaps a guest post pitch. These aren't stories for the national news desks who need solid news trickling through on a weekend. These are emails that can definitely wait until working hours. (They're also mainly irrelevant for me, but that's another newsletter.)
Now, I'm not going to pretend that I haven't done this. I used to send emails at unsociable hours. I didn't have a 'send later' function on my email account, and I'm not sure I still do. With a slew of deadlines, I would work over weekends, contacting PRs and founders, firing over requests for interviews or more information. At the time, I didn't even question my behaviour. I thought it was completely fine.
But over the past couple of years, I've reined this in. I realised I was feeding into a system we've created where we're 'on' all the time and never stop. Chained to our emails, when one pops up in your inbox you want to respond (or at least read). And that's what my former self and many others are doing: feeding into a workaholic culture when it's completely unnecessary. And so now I prepare and save emails in drafts, ready for the next working day.
I know it feels hypocritical to talk about this when journalists contact businesses at all kind of hours. Although when you're on a news desk, this is what you do. Obviously if you're already engaged in a dialogue with a journalist, fire your email off to them. Or set your own boundaries early with them. But for anyone sending out enquiries on a Saturday or a pitching a freelance journalist at 10pm, maybe think twice before you press send.
Have a lovely rest of the week.
Susie
A Green Opportunity For Press Coverage
Hi everyone,
Although my newsletter fails to sync with Earth Day next Thursday, I thought I'd still seize the opportunity to look at how the media has finally started to step up its attention on the climate crisis.
Given the climate emergency we're facing and the fact the UK is hosting UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in November, there's set to be A LOT of coverage around this year's event. (This CN Traveller article by its sustainability editor Juliet Kinsman is just one example; it's also well worth a read.)
You might have already pitched a story to magazines to coincide with Earth Day, founded in 1970 to help protect and conserve the planet. But fear not, it's not too late to fire off story pitches and opinion pieces to newspapers and online titles.
Of course you don't need a date like Earth Day to pitch your climate-related stories. With climate change already here in the form of intense weather patterns, the media has stepped up their climate and environmental coverage significantly in recent times, meaning there's a stronger appetite for your green pitches.
We're seeing publishers establish dedicated climate hubs. In February The Independent created a climate section covering news, views and sustainable lifestyle features. (I checked and there's no devoted desk but if you ever have a straight climate pitch, I was told climate correspondent Daisy Dunne is your contact.) The title has also created a climate channel within its TV platform.
The FT has set up Climate Capital, a dedicated area on its website bringing all of its climate coverage under one roof, and appointed Emiliya Mychasuk as climate editor. Over at The Sun, political correspondent Natasha Clark is now reporting on environment and climate news ahead of COP26 in November.
Although by no means a climate reporter, over the years I've stepped up my focus on more positive and impactful journalism, with the environment becoming a stronger part of my (very varied) portfolio. In recent years I've whipped up a report on quantifying sustainability for WGSN (for subscribers only), reported on the rise of carbon trackers for the BBC, interviewed people cutting back on flying for the Guardian, explored the impact of business travel on the environment for the Guardian, honed in on rental fashion for the i, and interviewed an XR activist for the Guardian.
With being COP26 set to be held in Glasgow in November, there'll be an even stronger demand for climate-related stories. Get pitching.
Enjoy the rest of your week.
Susie
It's celebration time
Hi everyone,
I hope you're all very well.
Celebration time is in order as this newsletter turns one next week! What started as a last-minute decision to throw into the void a newsletter demystifying the journalism industry and helping businesses and PRs understand the media more in the midst of the pandemic in April 2020 has led to a regular newsletter with thousands of readers and heartwarming engagement stats to boot.
Over the course of the past year, I've covered subjects such as how to build stronger relationships with journalists, the devastating impact of the pandemic on the industry, pitching, racism in the media, my advice to a budding young journalist, an exclusive interview with former female prisoners in Myanmar, and so on. I hope it's proved a useful resource.
So what's next? I'm bouncing around a few ideas on where I'd like to take the newsletter which of course I'll keep you up to date with. What I would love to know is what subjects would you like covered in the next year?
Also, fingers crossed, I'm hoping to restart my face-to-face workshops in the autumn. I'd love to return to gallivanting around the UK (and further afield when the time feels right) and meeting some of you. Please let me know if you're part of a group in an area that would like me to hold a workshop. What would you love a webinar or workshop in? What are your press coverage struggles right now?
Finally, I wouldn't have continued this newsletter without you. Thank you so much for your support over the past year. Thank you for sharing the newsletter with others so it can reach a bigger audience (you can do that by sending people this link), for writing testimonials on my social media pages, and for your lovely emails. It is all so so much appreciated.
Thank you for reading and your continued support.
Enjoy the long Bank Holiday,
Susie
Is the British press racist?
Hi everyone
It's been a heavy couple of weeks since the last newsletter. I hope you're all holding up ok.
During an interview with Oprah earlier this month, Meghan Markel and Prince Harry made their views of the media pretty clear, telling viewers that the press were “so attacking and incited so much racism”.
This sparked quite the debate, with media industry body the Society of Editors executive director Ian Murray arguing that Meghan’s claims that parts of the media were racist were “not acceptable”. Following this more than 160 journalists and editors from the likes of the Guardian, the Financial Times and HuffPost wrote a letter objecting to the statement.
I'm in agreement with the journalists who put their names to the letter. Unfortunately there is an undeniable issue with the British press when it comes to both the reporting of ethnic minorities and diversity in the newsroom.
The letter signposted clear evidence such as a study by the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance which accused two English newspapers of ‘fuelling prejudice’ in a report on rising racist violence and hate speech in the UK (check out page 18), and research from the MCB in 2018 which highlighted startling facts such as over a third of all articles misrepresented or generalised about Muslims.
“There have been numerous examples of complaints upheld against newspapers for inaccurate reporting against Muslims, often including false accusations of extremism,” the letter said.
Since then, Murray has resigned and a further statement from the Society of Editors said its initial comments "did not reflect what we all know: that there is a lot of work to be done in the media to improve diversity and inclusion".
The press needs to be challenged on the way it covers news about ethnic minorities. Like many women, I have been deeply upset by the murder of Sarah Everard. I don't want to take away from the fact a young woman has been killed but we need to assess why there is extensive media coverage when it involves white, middle class women or girls. I was at the Sisters Uncut protests at Scotland Yard and Parliament Square on Sunday and heard from speakers from Black Lives Matter UK, Jewish Solidarity Action, and All Black Lives UK. I stood there and listened as one woman questioned why there had been millions spent on the Madeleine McCann case, when there are missing or murdered black or brown people, and they receive little press attention in comparison? Blessing Olusegun, 21, was found dead on a Bexhill beach on September 18 2020. Her death failed to garner anywhere near as much media coverage despite the suspicious circumstances - she text her boyfriend and friend to stay on the phone. I only heard about Blessing last week. Where is her justice? Here's a petition to for a proper investigation into Blessing's death.
Unfortunately the media industry won't change overnight but we can make a move to ensure that the voices of ethnic minorities are heard in the press. More than ever it's important we all use our privilege to challenge injustices even when they don't impact us.
Thanks for reading.
Susie
Please don't pitch us this way...
Hi everyone,
There it goes. Another DM flying into my Twitter inbox. And then hours later, another. Unfortunately, these aren't messages about prospective work gigs or DMs from past lovers. Instead, they're pitches from PRs and businesses. I look back at my Twitter profile to see where I mention that I'm open for pitches on the platform. I rewatch my webinars to try and find where I highlight this as a tip. I look at my website and see if a hacker has removed my email address.
I'm being facetious and I know many brilliant PRs and founders would never dream of pitching through Twitter. But for some reason, my Twitter inbox is being increasingly deluged with pitches. As I write this, a Twitter DM comes in following up on a pitch sent to me on Twitter the evening before. I've also noted that increasingly PRs are responding to ResponseSource not through the media platform but via Twitter.
Unless a journalist has flagged up on their Twitter that they are open to tips/pitches through the platform, you know them, or you've heard through the grapevine that they're open to DMs, please refrain from jumping in Twitter inbox. I know we can be difficult to get hold of, but for me it's doesn't bode well for a strong relationship. Our email addresses tend to be easy to find. So please, stick to good old fashioned email.
Have a lovely rest of the week.
Thanks
Susie
My resources for helping you improve your press coverage:
You can watch my FREE Twitter webinar How to Tweet Your Way to Media Coverage (if you enjoyed it, I'd love it if you could share it on social media and any groups you're on).
Read my (free) How to Pitch to Journalists During Coronavirus and 17 Insider Tips On How to Pitch to Journalists During Coronavirus (just £5) ebooks.
Take my in-depth course Lessons from a Journalist: How to Secure Press Coverage - This is half price for anyone who has taken my workshop or webinar - just email me for the code.
Check out my pre-recorded webinars.
Organise a brainstorming session with a journalist, an overhaul of the copy on your website with a copywriter, or any other content such as blog posts or an award entry, through my network of professional writers.
Reserve a Power Hour with myself or another journalist.
Explore booking a PR for a short or long-term project. I have many I can recommend.