Pitching columnists is often wiser than pitching reporters because they don’t need third-parties to back up their assertions. If they believe it, they can write it. So we have assembled a list of prominent tech columnists at WSJ, NYT and Bloomberg, current as of June 2021.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.”
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.
Are you struggling to interest Tier 1 reporters in lesser-known clients? So is Jason Calacanis. The former journalist and well-known investor and podcaster sounded off Jul. 7 to CNBC’s Jon Fortt and two other hosts about the trouble he and other VCs have had in breaking through — especially to the New York Times.
Fast Company technology editor Harry McCracken sheds light on newsgathering at physical and virtual events, and changes in FC edit coverage brought on by Covid and other factors. Interview was conducted July 2020.
YOUR ACCOUNT
I’m super excited to share that I’ll be joining NBC News in January as deputy technology editor. I’ll be joined by @kattenbarge who will continue to work on her impressive and necessary reporting on the creator space and social media platforms. 🦚
Yesterday was my last day at Insider. I’m beyond thrilled to announce I’m now joining @NBCNews as a tech and culture reporter! I’ll continue to cover online creators alongside one of the best teams in the biz.
Hey I’m a staff writer @wired! I’ll be covering labor, the workplace, and the future of both.
Some exciting news: This is my last week at @Nature. I'll be starting a new job soon at @WSJ covering climate and the earth sciences
Is this the future of contributed content? YFS Magazine (covers ad tech) will accept your post, but if you pay them $99, you can "skip the line" and get "approval within 48 hrs, home page placement for 72 hours... and two 'do-follow links' instead of one."
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FRIDGE NOTES
Thank you Archetype, AxiCom, DBT Communications, fama PR, Hill+Knowlton Strategies and Look Left Marketing for renewing your SWMS subscription — we also welcome Coupa as our newest subscriber!
In our Nov. 30 emailer we stated that Mike Vizard had quit writing in order to oversee Digital CXO. Mike continues to write for Techstrong titles Devops.com and Container Journal, but did quit freelancing for VentureBeat and all other non-Techstrong titles.
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