>> Tier 1

Profile: Ari Levy, CNBC

July 1, 2021 3:14 pm

Senior technology reporter Ari Levy has “been there” — seven years at CNBC after 11 at Bloomberg.

Tier 1 Audiences are Plummeting, According to SimilarWeb Data

June 28, 2021 12:06 pm

Tier 1 audiences are plummeting, according to SimilarWeb data compiled by SWMS. Of 15 titles analyzed year over year, only Axios showed a gain. Every other brand suffered double-digit losses. Let’s take a look at the data.

Cheat Sheet: African Correspondents for Global Publications

June 19, 2021 2:30 pm

Here’s a list of eight reporters who cover Africa — general news and business news — for top-tier publications. Included is SimilarWeb traffic data as of June 2021.

Tier 1 Has a New Competitor: Andreessen Horowitz

April 29, 2021 10:26 am

VC firm Andreessen Horowitz is building what you might call its own Wired — a pro-tech media brand appealing both to consumers and business. It’s unnamed as yet, but A16Z is hiring fast. So far, at least, parts of it appear to be pitchable.

Two Questions: Mark Gurman, Bloomberg

April 5, 2021 6:36 pm

SWMS contributor Rhiannon Pacheco writes: We connected with Bloomberg consumer tech reporter Mark Gurman to explore what it would take for him to cover a less well-established company than Apple, and why he’s excited to explore (and cover) the technology that will follow the smartphone.

Two Questions: Cade Metz, NYT

March 31, 2021 4:41 pm

Cade Metz is consistent. We interviewed him in 2008, 2012 and 2015. Each time he has carried the same message: though he reports on tech, it’s always about the people. This week we checked in with Cade to discuss Genius Makers, his new book about “the mavericks who brought AI to Google, Facebook and the world.” Again with the people!

Alex Konrad: A Deeper Look

March 17, 2021 2:41 pm

Forbes senior editor Alex Konrad gave us a metric ton of insight this month — one article just wasn’t enough. So this week we plumb the notebook of SWMS contributor Rhiannon Pacheco, who interviewed Alex earlier this month, and present the rest of Alex’s thoughtful and heartfelt advice for PR pros looking to win his attention.

Cheat Sheet: Editorial Boards

March 15, 2021 5:08 pm

Sometimes it pays to go to the top. If you’re pitching something truly conceptual — something that can make a publication look prescient in the long run — then go to the editorial board. We’ve got a list of six boards for you, with contact info.

Profile: Christopher Mims, WSJ

January 14, 2021 5:42 pm

Christopher Mims isn’t your typical Tier 1 columnist. Chris reports his theses. Coming from a science background, he surrounds his opinions with lots of evidence — much of it empirical. Given the challenges associated with pitching someone like Chris, it might be best to think of him as a proxy for all of “Tier 1.”

How WSJ, Fast Company are Framing the Pitchable Future

September 14, 2020 5:26 pm

Few topics captivate reporters more than the future. SWMS this week studied the past two “The Future of Everything” reports in the WSJ — and a dozen stories in Fast Company’s The Shape of Tomorrow section — to identify pitch approaches that might work for you.

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FRIDGE NOTES

Newsweek Uses AI…

April 18, 2024

… and it has no problem disclosing how. Reporters still run the joint, but they are getting AI assistance.

The Atlantic’s Karen Hao Has A Big Idea

April 16, 2024

The Atlantic’s Karen Hao, in conjunction with the Pulitzer Center, is designing a course in AI for journalists. Classes begin next month. Details here. Might be something to alert your friendlies about. Karen hopes to help train 1,000 journalists in AI over the next two years.