Welcome to Coffee with a Journalist! This week, we sit down with freelance science and technology journalist Andrada Fiscutean. Based in Bucharest, Romania, Andrada writes for publications like Ars Technica, Vice Motherboard, ZDNet, Nature, and CSO Online, focusing on cybersecurity and the history of technology. She shares her unique perspective on covering stories that most staff writers wouldn't consider and the benefits of being based in a lower-cost country.  She also opens up about her...

Welcome to another episode of Coffee with a Journalist! In this episode, we have the pleasure of hosting Annalee Armstrong, the senior editor of Fierce Biotech. Fierce Biotech is a renowned trade publication that covers the latest news in the biotech industry, from drug development to cutting-edge scientific discoveries. Annalee shares insights on the hectic world of journalism, including the challenges of managing a flooded inbox, the importance of building relationships with publicists,...

In this episode, Alexis Morrillo, lifestyle editor at Bustle, gives us insight into the unique approach Bustle takes in covering trending stories. As a platform aimed at the Gen Z/Millennial audience, Bustle delves into the niche corners of the Internet, from viral TikTok trends to seasonal moments and gift guides. Alexis shares how Bustle's editorial team thrives on chaotic pitches and taps into the questions people are asking in their group chats and even what their parents are curious...

In this episode, our host Beck Bamberger sit down with Steffi Cao, a staff writer for Forbes, who specializes in covering the creator economy and internet culture. Steffi shares her insights on the creator economy beat, what catches her attention in pitches, and why she rarely writes about PR agency pitches. She also discusses the breadth of the creator economy, from Twitch streamers to hologram gamers, and the fascinating stories that emerge from this evolving industry. Join us as we sip on...

In this episode, our host Beck Bamberger interviews senior reporter Deanna Cuadra from Employee Benefit News. Deanna shares insights about her background in film and how it influences her reporting. She also discusses the importance of including relevant sources in pitches, offers tips on how to catch her attention in the subject line, and more!

In this episode, host Beck Bamberger sits down with the fabulous Dani Kwateng, executive editor of Teen Vogue. Dani gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the evolution of Teen Vogue over the past two decades and shares her insights on how writers can successfully pitch concepts and ideas to her as an editor. She also discusses the importance of exclusives and how they can be funneled to other esteemed publications. Oh, and did we mention that Danie delves into her time spent during New York...

In today's episode, we have the pleasure of speaking with Bree Fowler, the senior writer of cybersecurity and digital privacy from CNET. Bree shares her insights on building relationships through face-to-face meetings and the importance of establishing a connection with PR professionals. She also gives us a glimpse into her inbox, revealing how she manages the influx of pitches and the art of organizing her emails.

On this episode of Coffee with a Journalist, we sit down with Catherine Perloff, a reporter from Adweek. She gives us insight into her coverage of ad tech, social media platforms, and their influence on the marketing community. Catherine discusses the nuances of exclusives, how to approach her with trend stories she hasn't covered yet, the value of regular source conversations, and more.

In this week's episode, we have the pleasure of sitting down with Anna Hrushka, a senior reporter from Banking Dive. Anna's expertise lies in covering the banking and fintech sector, and she played a vital role in launching the Banking Dive vertical. During our conversation, Anna shares her interests in bank and fintech partnerships, her knack for finding second-day stories that deepen major news topics, and her approach to building relationships with sources through introductory calls or...

In today's episode, we have a special guest joining us, Sarah Whitten from CNBC. Sarah is an entertainment reporter based in Los Angeles. She has been covering the industry for nearly a decade.  During the episode, Sarah shares her tips for effective pitching, including the importance of building relationships with sources and crafting attention-grabbing headlines. She also reveals the types of stories she focuses on, from Hollywood news to box office trends, and expresses her interest in...

Moises Mendez II from TIME magazine is our guest this week on Coffee with a Journalist. Moises is a culture reporter who covers a wide range of topics, from the Internet and movies to music, TV, books, and podcasts. In this episode, Moises shares his insights into his preferences for exclusive pitches about creators. He also gives valuable advice on how to prolong a professional relationship with him. Plus, we dive into Moises' passion for music coverage, his favorite interview experiences,...

In this week's episode, Colleen DeBaise, the executive editor of The Story Exchange shares her insights on the world of journalism, providing valuable tips and advice for anyone looking to pitch their stories to media outlets. Colleen DeBaise talks about her process of skimming pitches, the importance of subject lines, and her preference for building relationships with PR professionals in person.

In today's episode, we have the pleasure of sitting down with Christopher Zara, a senior editor at Fast Company and the mastermind behind the news desk. Christopher recently released a memoir titled "Uneducated," which delves into the value of higher education and challenges the stigma of not having a degree. During our conversation, Christopher opens up about his personal journey and shares why he believes it's important to be easily accessible to sources in the fast-paced world of...

In today's episode, Aarthi Swaminathan, the housing reporter at MarketWatch, brings her expertise on real estate and travel to the table. During the episode, Aarthi shares insights about her work, including the types of pitches she's interested in receiving. She discusses the significance of exclusives and embargoes, as well as the importance of data in her reporting. Aarthi also reveals her preferences for communication and provides some invaluable tips for successfully pitching to her.

Sarah Burke, the editor-in-chief of Them, a platform for LGBTQ+ people from Condé Nast is our guest this week on Coffee with a Journalist. Sarah discusses the target audience and focus of stories for Them readers, as well as who to pitch from the publication, specifically the section editors. She shares valuable tips on how to craft compelling subject lines to catch her and her team's attention. Sarah emphasizes the importance of subject lines in determining whether the sender is familiar...

On this episode of Coffee with a Journalist, we sit down with Rebecca Ruiz, a senior reporter at Mashable, to discuss her coverage of mental health, digital culture, and technology. Rebecca shares her insights on effective subject lines for PR professionals and highlights the keywords and strategies that grab her attention. She also reveals her interests in exploring how people's well-being and mental health unfold in the context of digital culture. We delve into Rebecca's past articles,...

On this episode of Coffee with a Journalist, Alexa Mikhail, a health and wellness reporter for Fortune's Well team, joins us. Alexa discusses her role at Fortune Well, sharing that she joined the team about a year ago as a health and wellness reporter. Her main focus is on mental health and workplace wellness, but she also covers topics unrelated to business. She also shares insights on the latest article from Fortune, the Fortune 50 Best Places to Live for Families, which highlights the...

On this Coffee with a Journalist episode, Kevin Dugan from New York Magazine is the featured guest. Kevin has over a decade of experience covering the finance industry and has established a solid list of sources and contacts. During the episode, he talks about exclusives he would consider covering, including people with power and money in finance, economics, and crypto. Kevin Dugan also shares his lack of interest in crypto but has an interest in meeting with academics and government figures. 

Sara Spruch-Feiner, a senior reporter for Glossy and the force behind their Pop vertical, is the guest on this week's episode of Coffee with a Journalist. Sara talks about her reporting style, the importance of specificity in pitches, and why she prioritizes her four-story-a-week workload over coffee dates with publicists. She emphasizes the value of authenticity in pitches and advises against pitching stories that have already been covered. Sara also delves into the intersection of business,...

On this episode of Coffee with a Journalist, host Beck Bamberger speaks with Rose Minutaglio, senior editor at ELLE magazine. Rose shares her perspective on how to format pitches, including the reasons why she automatically deletes them. The discussion also delves into Rose's column, Clothes of Our Lives, which explores how fashion can be used as a tool for communication. With an average of about 200 emails a day, Rose recommends keeping emails short and offers tips on how to catch her...

On this episode of Coffee with a Journalist, host Beck Bamberger speaks with HuffPost wellness reporter Jillian Wilson. They discuss the ins and outs of service journalism, covering topics like wellness, beauty, and food. Jillian shares her approach to finding sources and filtering through email pitches and talks about the importance of using embargoes or exclusives only for big news and building relationships with PR professionals. Additionally, they delve into creative subject line ideas...

Today on the podcast we’re talking with Jill Duffy, a columnist and deputy managing editor at PCMag. She’s been contributing to PCMag since 2011 and currently writes about work life, productivity, and software with an emphasis on apps for productivity and collaboration. During the episode, Jill talks about PCMag’s approach to vetting and reviewing products, her low-touch recommendation for building and sustaining a working relationship, why everyone should have a business mentor, and more.

On the podcast today we’re joined by Kate Irwin. She is a gaming lead reporter for Decrypt where she writes about the latest news and features in technology and big tech, cryptocurrency news, entertainment, and culture. Kate also creates video content for the Decrypt website and social media pages. During the episode, Kate talks about Decrypt’s audience and how the team likes to break down stories, the story she looks for behind videogames and their makers, the reason why full transparency...

Our guest today on Coffee with a Journalist is Emily Rella. Emily is a senior news writer at Entrepreneur, writing about feature stories, business, tech, and lifestyle. During the episode, Emily shares two examples of pitches that captured her attention, the most effective ways to build and foster a working relationship, how to position exclusives and embargoes, and more.

Today’s guest on the podcast is Brooke Masters. She is a US Financial Editor and an Associate Editor at the Financial Times where she leads a team of reporters covering financial services. During the episode, Brooke talks about how coverage is broken down across teams at FT, how sources should be pitched effectively, when is the best time to pitch her, and more.