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!

The Philadelphia Business Journal is the region’s go to source for business news. The weekly print publication is paired with a digital newsroom that publishes stories daily and offers exclusive content to subscribers. Hear from PBJ reporter, Michelle Caffrey, on how she works with PR professionals to turn pitches into published stories in this interview by PPRA member and past president, Adam Dorvin.

How did you get started as a journalist? I’ve been obsessed with reading and writing since I could physically do it, so I wound up writing for my middle school newspaper, the ‘teen section’ of my local newspaper, my high school newspaper and college newspaper. My first full-time gig in journalism was covering the wild local political scene in Washington Township, Gloucester County for the then-named Gloucester County Times, now the South Jersey Times. I don’t miss sitting in school board meetings until midnight, but that town still holds a special place in my heart.

Who/what inspired you to pursue journalism and what keeps you inspired? Watching reporters on TV on 9/11 made an enormous impression on my 12-year-old mind. I was terrified, and realized how crucial their role was in communicating important facts to the public. Now, I’m constantly inspired by the amazing work other journalists are churning out, especially those at local papers fighting never-ending cuts and layoffs to keep those in power accountable. Black and brown reporters who work incredibly hard, against systems designed to oppress them, to hold truth to power also deserve immense respect and inspire me every day.

How do you work with PR professionals? Often and respectfully. Reporters need PR professionals and PR professionals need reporters, there’s no way around it. At the end of the day, we’re both just trying to do our jobs the best we can. There’s always going to be conflict, since sometimes our goals are mutually exclusive, but I always try to hear people out, see their perspective, explain where I’m coming from and go from there. A little bit of mutual, professional respect goes far.

What advice would you give PR professionals looking to pitch you?  Since we’re a regional pub, make the Philly connection clear to me right away. If I don’t see a local dateline or area code in the contact info at first glance, I usually hit delete since a lot of national pitches end up in my inbox. Highlight the hook high-up as well. They hide at the end of a press release a lot. A straight-up personal email will also catch my attention much more than a generic release.

How many pitches do you get a day from PR folks? Depends on the day or week — please give me more things to write about during the dead week between Christmas and New Years, please — but between a dozen and three dozen. Some are relevant, but a lot aren’t, just because the Business Journal has a fairly narrow focus on stories that are important to the Philadelphia-area business community.

How much follow up is too much on a pitch—with someone you don’t have a relationship with, and someone you do? If we’ve been working together for years, and you know it’s a story I’d normally write (a well-known tech startup raising a big Series B round, for example,) feel free to keep bugging me, since there are a lot of times when I just miss an email or call when things are busy. If it’s a story that’s kind of on the fence of my normal coverage, I’d say two or three, max, check-ins and move on. Honestly, that goes whether or not we’ve worked together before, because the only way to build a relationship is to start one.

Also, if I turn a pitch down, please don’t try and convince me otherwise and sell the story anyway (unless there’s good info you’ve withheld, but why would you do that?) The number one reason I don’t respond to pitches that aren’t a good fit is because I don’t want to have to get into a whole debate and turn it down a second or third time.

How do you prefer to be pitched? What is the best way to make a pitch stand out?
Definitely an email. There’s so much noise out there it’s helpful to just have one place for pitches, and email is the easiest way to keep track of them. If we don’t have an established relationship though, I don’t love phone follow-ups. Usually if someone is calling me it’s because I didn’t answer an initial email, because it’s not a good fit for us, and a polite decline on the phone turns into one of those debates. I don’t always have the bandwidth to get into it. Oh and if I do pick up the story, please don’t ask me every day asking when it’s going to run, unless you’re giving me a heads up another outlet could scoop me. Things are always shifting and plans are always changing in a newsroom, usually a story is going to run when it’s going to run.

How do you step away from the 24 hour newscycle? What do you do outside of work?
In the summer I try to spend as much time with my family in Cape May as possible, but in general, my healthy coping mechanisms are running, yoga and reading. My unhealthy ones are bourbon and reality TV. It’s all about balance, right?

Can you share a fun and interesting fact about yourself?
I spent seven years working as a dental assistant on and off before getting my first full-time gig as a reporter. I like to think it helped me learn how to get people who are anxious or under stress to open up, pun kind-of intended.

Best way to contact: mcaffrey@bizjournals.com

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!

For more than 10 years, photographer HughE Dillon has made Philadelphians feel like celebrities with his event photos. From fundraisers to birthday parties to movie shoots, HughE has covered it all for his blog Philly Chit Chat and for outlets across the city as a contributor. Learn how HughE turned his passion for photography into a full-time job in this interview by PPRA member Alexa Johnson.

How did you get started as a “Society Photographer?”
I saw the publicity my blog generated in 2007 as I wrote about celebrities I photographed in Philly as well as in NYC, and various things I saw in Philadelphia while walking around. I thought ‘I bet this kind of media would be great to shine a light on charity events.’ At the time, magazines weren’t online yet, and only published once a month. The Inquirer published their society column every Sunday but it seemed to me they were only focusing on major society charity events with the same people. I wanted to create something that would highlight everyone, from the person who paid $10 to attend a charity event at a bar, to someone who paid $10,000, and as many folks from all walks of life as possible.

During the years 2007 through 2010, I covered the events for fun and content for my blog. Then I was laid off from my paralegal job in December 2010. With the support of my husband, I decided to try and monetize my blog. I announced to my readers that I had lost my job and now would become a party photographer, where people would hire me to shoot events and I would create content for my blog and place “one shots” from the parties in the newspaper as I had started to work with Michael Klein and Dan Gross by this time. It was an immediate success. People hired me, companies advertised on my blog and I didn’t have to look for another paralegal job. A few months after starting my business, Fox 29 and Philly Mag approached me to create content for their outlets in July 2011. A few years later, I got my own columns in Philly.com and Metro Philly where they paid me for the content.

Who/what inspired you to pursue a career in media/photography and what keeps you inspired?

I was a fan of longtime Inquirer society columnist Ruth Seltzer and then David Iams. Philly Daily News’ Stu Bykofsky, Harriet Lessey, Dan Gross. The NY Social Diary and NYC society photographer Patrick McMullen (I always tweet at him that he’s my mentor in my head. He never responds, LOL).

What’s your most favorite event you’ve photographed?
Every single Diner en Blanc event has been very special. All the Big Brother Big Sisters Fashion Touchdown fundraiser where the Eagles players and their wives walk the catwalk with the latest fashions. I also loved shooting Virgin America’s First Philadelphia flight party in 2012 at the Palamor Hotel with guests like DJ Jazzy Jeff who spun for guests like Glenn Howerton, Amber Rose, Penn Badgley, Zoe Kravitz, The Roots, M. Night Shyamalan and lots of fun people from Philly.

What advice would you give PR professionals looking to work with you? How do you work best together?

As for PR professionals, I need them to understand that I created a nontraditional media business model where I shoot party photos, but the PR/Event/Business pays me to do so, and not the media outlet. The media doesn’t pay me. Clients should also keep in mind: I only need 90 minutes to two hours to shoot an event; and I always suggest the client keep their own house photographer because my photos are not returned to the client for at least 90 days.  My media outlets want the “exclusive” content first and each of them gets their own set of photos. The media outlets have the final say on editorial an d what runs.

As of 2020 I have 8 daily columns: Philly Style Magazine, Philly Voice, Philly Business Journal, Mainline Media News, Philly Mag, CBS3Philly, Fox 29 and Philly Chit Chat; occasionally my photos are placed in NBC10, Mainline Today and Jewish Exponent.

How many pitches a week do you receive?
About 400. During the months of September to December, and March to June I have to be hired to guarantee I cover your event. The other months (Jan, Feb, July & Aug) I’m less busy now so I might cover an event that isn’t a client and will put in a media outlet. For most pitches I try to promote them on one of my social media outlets, even if they’re not clients.

How do you step away from the 24-hour news cycle? What do you do outside of work?
I like to birdwatch, although I have no idea what the bird’s names are, I usually just tweet out “Oh, I saw a nice red one today, here’s a photo.”

Best way to contact: Hughe@phillychitchat.com

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!

Marc Narducci has been a Philadelphia Inquirer sportswriter since 1983, offering stories, videos, photos & commentary mainly on the 76ers & Temple football. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic he has shifted some of his reporting to news and The Upside – the Inquirer’s newest section which celebrates good news, good stories and the very best of the Greater Philadelphia region. Marc is a passionate storyteller whose love for his craft and this region shine through in his reporting. Learn from PPRA member Melissa Fordyce on how he got this start, how he likes to be pitched and the favorite story he’s covered. Photos courtesy of Marc Narducci.

How did you get started as a journalist?
I first started out as a reporter for a local newscast in cable TV while I was still in college in 1979. I stayed there for five years, but while there, I realized that I better become a little more versatile so through contacts I was able to do some freelance sports stories for the Courier Post and a few for The Inquirer. When The Philadelphia Inquirer debuted a South Jersey section in 1984, I was hired. It wasn’t full-time but back then there was an unlimited freelance budget, so I was working full-time hours. I didn’t become full-time until 1997.

Who/what inspired you to pursue journalism and what keeps you inspired?
I just always had a love for sports and wanted to report on it whether electronically or for print. Over the years I have done a lot of small cable TV sports stuff such as covering games, sports shows, etc. I just always wanted to have a career where I was covering sports and for the most part that is how it has been. Now due to the coronavirus, I have been also writing news (until the games return) and that has also been interesting. It is not my comfort zone but have met a lot of good people and have done several different types of stories from straight news to features.

What’s your favorite aspect of your job?
The fact that I am covering something I love and get to tell the story. It’s always said that no two days are the same. I wouldn’t go that far, but there is so much different that occurs. Each story presents its own new challenge. I especially like covering a team on a day to day basis, because you become so familiar with the participants and the subject.  

What’s your favorite story that you’ve worked?
I just finished a 12-part series on the 76ers 12 most memorable playoff games, which is still running now. The reason I enjoyed it was I went back and interviewed players and coaches and learned so much that I didn’t know about many of these famous games. Some of the information I had never read before and that is always good to uncover new information and it was fascinating to see how well people remembered events that in some cases were more than 50 years ago.

Take us through your story process – What elements do you look for?
Where do you start? You always look for a hook. The story we always ask is why should this story be published. What about it makes it worth pursuing. When you are covering a team on a day to day basis, you are often doing the news of the day, although you are always looking for a different slant to a story everybody else is covering. When doing a feature, then you want to really say, what makes this story worth publishing.

We get pitched on a lot of stories with similar themes, so we are always looking for what makes this story stand out. For instance, while working for The Inquirer’s Upside section, we get pitched on so many people doing good things for charity. That should never be discounted, but then we look at what makes this story so unique. Maybe it is something that they are doing different. Maybe it is the individual who has a good and unique story. But we always look beyond just the nuts and bolts of a story and look to see what will make it stand out.

How do you work with PR professionals?
I love working with PR professionals because for the most part, they know what we need. The really good ones know how to pitch a story, know our needs and can deliver us the people we need to talk to. That is the most important thing. Not only getting a good story but getting the people who can talk about it in an interesting way. You know within a few minutes of a phone call or even from reading an email if a PR professional is sharp.

What advice would you give PR professionals looking to pitch you?
Read the product you are pitching to. Don’t pitch me a story that ran in yesterday’s paper. Also have a little idea about the work the reporter you are pitching to does. The more effective pitches come from people who are not just cold calling but have a familiarity with what we do and possibly the type of stories we need.

How many pitches do you get a day from PR folks? Since working for the Upside section, it has increased to probably several a day, but that is fine. The hardest thing is to say no to somebody. One thing I do is I will pitch every story idea I get unless I think it has no chance to succeed. For instance, if we have done a story or even several on a topic I pitch, I will tell the PR person that it isn’t likely that it will be used.  

How do you prefer to be pitched? What is the best way to make a pitch stand out?
I like email. Everything is outlined there and plus you have a record of it. I keep a file of all the stories I am pitched and it is easy to do it that way. Also, I like the people who even if I turn them down, that they come back with more ideas.

Favorite local sports hero – past or present?
Always loved Hank Aaron. I thought he is the most underrated sports superstar and love the way he still carries himself today with so much dignity.

Favorite game or sports story you’ve covered?
The Eagles 41-33 win over New England in Super Bowl LII. I was in Minnesota the entire week doing pre-game stories and it was exciting to be part of our coverage. I normally don’t do this, but after the game and long after I had filed my story, I went down on the field and had my photo taken there. Normally I remain neutral. I don’t root for teams, I root for no injuries and a good storyline, but the fact that it was the Eagles first Super Bowl title and to be part of it was pretty special.

Favorite spot to think through a story?
My kitchen. That is where I do most of my work. I take phone calls, write the stories right here. The only problem is when my wife runs the microwave, then it gets a little hard to hear, but other than that, it’s my spot.

The best way to reach Marc: mnarducci@inquirer.com

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!

Over the past three years, Molly Given has established herself as one of Philadelphia’s go-to voices in the media for events, entertainment news and beyond. As a Features Editor for Metro Philadelphia Newspaper, Molly’s life-long passion for writing and meeting new people shines through in her content. Learn more about the person behind the page and discover how best to share your news with Molly in this edited interview by PPRA member Kellsey Turner. Photo courtesy of Molly Given.

What’s your favorite story that you’ve worked on?
That’s a tough question! I don’t know if I have a favorite, but I have ones that stand out. I did a story for the Penn Museum for their Global Guides program recently. The program featured in-depth tours of the recently opened Africa, Mexico/Central America and re-vamped Middle East galleries led by immigrants and refugees from the respective areas. I had the pleasure of interviewing a few of the guides and what they said was truly touching.

What advice would you give PR professionals looking to pitch you?
I would say to be clear with what the pitch is about right up front. I will be more likely to write about a story if I have a clear picture of exactly what it is. It’s definitely great to be detailed, but after you give the essential information. Also pitches that have pictures, or that offer to have you come out to check out the facility or event really help paint a picture as well.

Who/what inspired you to pursue journalism and what keeps you inspired?
I really just love the idea of getting to interview people and finding out their thoughts/feelings/desires and fears even. Everyone has a story to tell, and I love being able to tell them. That’s what continues to motivate and inspire me with journalism.

Take us through your story process. What elements do you look for?
I look for stories that are unique, but also ones that are informative. I don’t exactly look for the ‘juiciest scoop,’ but I do want to be someone who can shine a light on interesting circumstances and people.

Where do you start?
I typically start out writing stories with the facts that I have and then dive deep and research more. If there is an opportunity to learn more about a particular subject through interviews or seeing something first-hand as well, I’ll definitely jump on that opportunity.

How do you work with PR professionals?
I work with PR professionals mainly over email, but if I have developed a working relationship with them then we connect over the phone typically as well. But it’s always fun to meet in person too and get to know the PR professional behind the email.

How many pitches do you get a day from PR folks?
It ranges, but can be anywhere from 20-30. Sometimes more.

How much follow up is too much on a pitch—with someone you don’t have a relationship with, and someone you do?
With someone I don’t have a relationship with, I would say one more follow-up. Personally speaking, if I’m not hooked to the story after one follow-up, I don’t think I will be at that point, unless something changes. That actually is the same for someone I do have a relationship with as well.

How do you prefer to be pitched? What is the best way to make a pitch stand out?
Emails work. Also, I’m really just looking for an interesting story; so, if there is something interesting about whatever you are pitching, make sure to really sell that. Passion comes across on a page!

How do you step away from the 24-hour news cycle?
Typically, I do decompress for an hour or so after work. I put my phone down and just avoid technology. You need to step away. No one can be tuned in all the time; it’s good to take a break.

What’s a fun and interesting fact about yourself?
I grew up in Atlantic City and worked as a beach lifeguard for about ten years. That job was the second-best I’ve ever had, just behind this one.

What’s your favorite spot to think through a story?
In the sun—I love to be outside! The fresh air and Vitamin D always spark creativity for me.

The best way to pitch Molly is via email: molly.given@metro.us