As PR professionals, we all know the importance of building meaningful relationships with members of the media – reporters, producers, assignment editors, etc. But how does that happen, and where do you start? 

In this new section of the PPRA blog, PPRA members will share insight, tips and tricks, and fun facts learned from members of the media through informal interviews. You won’t have to wait for our “Media Mingle” or “Editors Panel” to get your tough questions answered and connect with the media. Our goal with this blog section is to continue engagement with our media counterparts in an informative and fun manner. So, between you and me – enjoy!

It’s rare that a Philadelphia TV news station launches a new program that focuses on the positive things to see and do in Philadelphia. But that’s what NBC10 did last month with the launch of “Philly Live,” which is in partnership with Visit Philly. The digital-first show, which airs Monday through Friday at 11:45 a.m., is hosted by Aunyea Lachelle, who is new to NBC10 but not to Philadelphia. The Northeast Philly native sat down with Bellevue Communications’ Kareen Preble to provide some insight into the new show. The following has been edited for clarity and brevity. Photo courtesy of NBC10.

Aunyea Lachelle is the host of NBC10’s Philly Live.

How did you get started as a journalist?

“I majored in communications at West Chester [University] and I was also a radio board operator and radio host at West Chester as well for 3-4 years, so I did television and radio.”

Between you and me, what’s your favorite aspect of your job?

“Everything that I get to do. I’m from Philly, born and raised. But I’m still discovering new things that I didn’t know existed in this town. I love the fact that I get to be myself, and I like to say to the viewers all the time – look, I’m your homegirl….I know the city just like you do, but I’m also curious about the city just like you are. I’m introducing our viewers to new things that they might not have known, but I’m also experiencing those things myself so that I can give them that full experience when they watch the show. I never knew you could take a flying trapeze class in Philly, but I did it and I’m terrified of heights! So that goes to show how committed I am to this show and to our viewers to give them the best Philly experience possible. I mean I get to meet celebrities like Billie Jean King and get an exclusive tennis lesson with her. I played foosball with Brian Westbrook. We’ve covered restaurant week, fashion week. So, I love that I just get to showcase my personality and have a great time on the show. It’s something I get to have fun with.”

What inspired you to get into this business?

“A lot of things inspired me. I can’t credit it to just one thing. My family was one. I come from a very Christian family, [they] founded Porter’s Daycare and Educational Center, which is a nonprofit daycare and elementary school that’s been open for nearly 40 years now. They were a huge inspiration to me because I realized that people that do the work that they do and that people who work in nonprofits in general don’t get enough buzz and attention, they don’t get the credit and recognition that they deserve. So part of [my inspiration] was wanting to tell those stories. Another part of it was that I’ve always been a creative person and I’ve always been interested in the arts and the performing arts, especially with music. I used to play and sing at coffee shops in college, act in high school plays so I’ve always had a passion for the arts and as I got older, it transpired into broadcast television.”

What advice would you give PR professionals looking to pitch you?

“I know PR pros tend to put their clients first, which is great because that’s your job and that’s why you’re great at it. However, my advice when reaching out to us is to focus on the viewer whenever you’re sending a pitch. Attack it from the viewer’s perspective, and think of what they would like to see, what they would like to hear and the way they would like the story to be told.

We’ve worked with tons and tons of PR and we’re so happy that they are excited about this show and that they have clientele that would be perfect for this show. As far as what we’re looking for, it’s any and everything that there is to do and see, and it’s not just Philly, but it’s also the Del Valley and the whole Southeastern Pennsylvania region that we’re covering, as well as parts of New Jersey, so it really is a tri-state area show. I like to describe it as Philly is the heartbeat and we connect to all the other cities and our surrounding regions as well.”

You’ve only been doing Philly Live since September, but has there been a highlight so far?

“You know I’m one of those people where every project I take on becomes my baby and so, almost every story that I take on becomes my baby and I become really passionate about telling the story the right way. It wouldn’t be fair to pinpoint one specific segment, however, as far as my favorites… I mean, the restaurant segments, I love, because I’m a huge foodie. Blume was probably one of my favorite restaurants that we covered; it’s super instagrammable and on trend with flowers and flower-themed cocktails. Fashion week was really fun. I love featuring and working with local people, local business owners. We get to feature some nonprofits as well with our live interviews, so I would love to work with more nonprofits and do more community-based stories, which I think is something that we’re definitely going to be highlighting very soon.”

Best way to pitch Aunyea for Philly Live: PhillyLive.Viewers@nbcuni.com