We’ve seen a lot of change in the field of media in the last few years. Traditional print publications have reduced circulation, blogs have boomed in popularity, and social media engagement has become a metric by which to measure popularity for publications.
Journalists and PR professionals alike have found themselves in uncharted territory. While PR professionals now have a wide array of publications to pitch, easily contactable via email, this same phenomenon can be troubling for journalists, who are now inundated with irrelevant pitches.
HARO (Help A Reporter Out) and other similar services have addressed this growing relationship by providing platforms through which PR representatives can better find pitch targets and journalists can more effectively request sources. As this kind of service continues to evolve, we’ve been particularly impressed in recent months by Jeff Vance, a freelance writer covering IT news for publications like CIO, Network World and Forbes. Jeff has developed his own query request Listserv, “Jeff Vance’s Story Source Newsletter.” Essentially, Jeff has created his own HARO service, sent only to subscribers.
After receiving Jeff’s e-newsletter regularly for the past few months, we’ve determined several advantages this type of system can have for journalists:
- Specified queries. When Jeff gets a story request from an editor, he can send out a query to his Listserv asking for ideas, pitches – you name it. We’ve seen queries from Jeff on every topic, from ideas for Big Data stories to nominations for “best startup” lists. Jeff is able to format his query however he pleases, with no restrictions on length or formatting – and he doesn’t have to compete with other queries, as one does when their query is listed in a mass email (like in HARO).
- Targeted subscribers. If you’ve subscribed to Jeff’s Listserv, you’re probably interested in pitching him – after all, it serves as an update about what he’s working on. Rather than reaching the wide audience that Listservs like HARO reach, Jeff is able to reach a targeted audience that’s already familiar with his beat, publications and interests. As journalists continue to be inundated with pitches, this helps Jeff focus his source requests to a targeted audience, ideally saving time sifting through extraneous emails.
- A platform for feedback. Jeff recently took to his Listserv to provide feedback to people who had offered up pitches in response to a recent query around Big Data. Thanking everyone for submissions, Jeff gave tips on what he’s looking for (a story to go along with a source, not just a briefing). Jeff’s advice was to focus on the “why” not just on the “who” or the “what,” emphasizing that for him, this is what makes a story interesting. This feedback is incredibly helpful for those working to improve their pitching style, and helps Jeff’s subscribers customize outreach to fit his preferences, which is beneficial for both parties.
Jeff Vance is clearly at the forefront of a new journalistic methodology, and we’re fascinated to watch as this space continues to develop. In the meantime, we applaud Jeff for his proactive system. The relationship between PR professionals and media should be mutually beneficial– we’re pleased to see journalists and resources like HARO proactively work toward making this ideal a reality.