Name and News Organization: Kate Michael, KStreetKate.net and The District Dish
Beat: DC topics (People, places, events, charities, businesses)
Job Title: New Media Personality
Length of Time in this Role: 3 years
Web Site and/or Blog: K Street Kate/ The District Dish
Twitter Handle: @kstreetkate

Mopwater: What kind of stories/people/companies are you most interested in covering, and in what context?  KM: Both the online magazine and talk show feature the best of DC, lifestyle stories that highlight the real District of Columbia and its eclectic neighborhoods.

Mopwater: What’s the best pitch you’ve gotten recently and why?  KM: A unique and interesting business (trapeze school) moved into the area and featured lessons with the instructor who taught “Carrie” on the trapeze episode of Sex and the City.  We booked him immediately to tell people about the trapeze school on The District Dish!

Mopwater: What’s the worst pitch you’ve gotten recently and why? KM: The sister of a local woman asked me to do a feature on her because she was “so nice” and “people should know about her”… I’m not sure why.

Mopwater: What’s the easiest way to get ignored by you when pitching?  KM: Forget to take out the name of the other publication you were pitching when you were cutting and pasting your pitch.

Mopwater: What’s your preferred method of contact? Phone, email, your web site, your twitter account, your Facebook? KM: Email and twitter, equally.  My actual e-mail is listed on my facebook page, so why use a facebook message?? Read the full story

Traditional media outlets are, sadly, a thing of a bygone era. It has become almost an improbable proposition to start and sustain a pricey print publication, or an expensive-to-produce television show. Journalism is evolving, some would say dying;  and we have not hit rock bottom yet.

With the number of major news organizations downsizing and/or folding altogether, public relations professionals have to begin to develop a stronger roster of new media contacts  to get their clients’ stories told. As a PR2.0 professional, I am always on the lookout for the New Influencers: professional bloggers (many with journalism backgrounds), freelance writers who write for both the Web and print publications, and new media producers.

Though media database services like Cision and Vocus are great tools that still very much have their place, scrappy PR2.0 professionals realized long ago that Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter have made it much easier to find and connect with journalists. In the same democratizing way,YouTube, Vimeo and other free video sharing sites have destroyed the barrier between the would-be television producer and the audience, and   WordPress and Blogger made it possible for anyone with content to easily publish that content on the Web. Producers don’t need tons of money or the backing of major networks to get a show up and running: all they need is a camera, a YouTube account and a great story to tell.

Which is where we come in. Read the full story

Today’s How to Pitch is all about beauty and relaxation. If you represent a client in the beauty or spa industry, you need to know about Jacqui Pini and her Gannett-backed blog Indulge.  Jacqui writes about high-end cosmetics, the latest spa treatments, and international beauty trends, so if you have a client or two in this industry, you’ll want to really read her pitching preferences.

Even if you’re not in the beauty industry, her tips are great for anyone who is trying to draw media attention to a product, so please read on.  Here’s how to pitch a beauty writer: Jacqui Pini.

Mopwater: What is your name, news organization, current city and beat? What types of stories do you write? How long have you been with your news organization?

JP: My name is Jacqui Pini and I am a news editor and blogger for a Captivate-a leading alternative media company that delivers more than 54.5 million impressions a month, and is backed by the Gannett News Company.  I summarize news, business, sports, lifestyle and entertainment stories. I also write one of Captivate’s lifestyle columns called “Indulge,” where I cover the latest spa trends and high-end beauty products from all over the world. I have been with the company for 4 years and prior to that I was a TV news producer for a station in West Palm Beach, Fla. I have been interested in journalism my entire life and I have a Master of Science in Broadcast Journalism from Boston University.

Mopwater: What kind of stories and products are you most interested in covering, and in what context?

JP: For Indulge, my favorite stories involve anything new, unusual and interesting in the world of spa treatments, beauty trends (for men and women), relaxation and more. Expert interviews are a great way for me to get important technical information to a reader in a fun, personal way.  I also like to cover new products before they hit store shelves – because who doesn’t want to be the first one to report the scoop on a new product? Finally, I have a fondness for studies and reviews, which I like to elaborate on and editorialize on the results.

I truly believe public relations professionals are part of what makes all of the above topics happen. They play a major role in helping journalists bring value and something new to a reader.

I update Indulge 2-3 times a week, but here are a few recent ones:

Hollywood Hairstylist Sally Hershberger

Best Websites to Buy Beauty Products

Eyelash Extensions…Going to Great Lengths

Anti-Aging Around the World

Mopwater: What’s the best pitch  you’ve gotten  recently?  Why did this pitch impress you?

JP: I just received a pitch from one PR exec that was especially well done. It came the morning after the Golden Globes and she sent me a brief email about her product (which was new to me), named a few celebrities wearing her product at the Golden Globes, had an expert stylist available for comment and had attached 1 photo of the product. I wrote her back right away and told her I was interested and wanted some comments from the stylist and she had the information to me within an hour. This is what I liked about this pitch:

• It was a new and interesting product
• The pitch was brief and had everything I needed
• She was responsive, but did not hound me
• The pitch was timely
• She had an expert available for comment
• She included just 1 photo so my email was not overloaded

Overall, she made covering her product very easy and interesting for me. Read the full story