A Candid Conversation with a Journalist (Part 3) – Steps to Secure Local Coverage
09.03.2025 – Getting into the paper isn’t luck — it’s knowing the steps that make it easier for an editor to say yes. In my continued conversation with Kingsport Times News Content Editor Carol Broyles, she laid out a clear roadmap for how businesses can get covered, from making the first call to submitting the right photo format. And yes — your grand opening really does count as news.
A Candid Conversation with a Journalist (Part 2) – Photos, Pitches, and Playing Nice
08.27.2025 – We all know a picture is worth a thousand words, but it’s worth nothing to a newspaper when it’s low quality or is missing the cutline (journalism lingo for a photo caption) identifying people in the photo. But when you include a high-quality photo with a cutline when pitching a newspaper your story, you can substantially increase your chance of getting your story placed. Photos are attention-getting. Kingsport Times News Content Editor Carol Broyles said it herself during my interview with her in July. Here’s part two of our four-part series with her.
A Candid Conversation with a Journalist (Part 1) – From Student Reporter to Editor
08.20.2025 – What do journalists think about being pitched story ideas? How can you increase the likelihood your local newspapers will run your story? In July I met up with Carol Broyles at a Johnson City, Tenn. Starbucks for a sit-down chat. I wanted you to hear the perspective of what someone who works at a local newspaper thinks about receiving press releases. She also offered tips on working with newspaper staff.
Is Your Authenticity… Authentic?
08.14.2025 – Are you committed to staying true to yourself and your brand? In a world where AI can transform still images into convincing videos, replicate voices, fabricate customer reviews, and even mimic company websites, guarding your authenticity is more critical than ever.
HVAC Customer Relations: They’re Either HOT or COLD
07.30.2025 – Tuesday afternoon I was sitting in my Johnson City home office on a hot, muggy Tennessee day. It was about 87°F and probably around 75% humidity. My elderly neighbor across the street, Cliffy, sent me a text saying her air conditioning wasn’t working. She’s about 80 years old. On top of it all, she was ill. My immediate thought was it’s not good for an elderly person to not have AC in the middle of a hot, humid summer.
Quite the Cold Play by Astronomer’s CEO
07.24.2025 – Thanks to the now-infamous July 16 Coldplay concert “kiss cam” video — featuring Astronomer CEO Andy Byron very warmly embracing Chief People Officer Kristin Cabot — the tech company scored something every PR pro dreams about: massive worldwide press coverage.
3 Huge “Word Ruts” to Avoid
07.16.2025 – As a trusted communication advisor, one of my jobs is to help spokespeople I serve avoid getting stuck in “word ruts.” In other words, saying the same thing countless others always say. Just because countless others say it. Here are three of the word ruts that personally drive me crazy…
7 Ways to Know If Your PR is Working
07.09.2025 – Results matter. Whether it’s advertising, marketing or public relations, each expenditure needs to be justified by its results. Besides the fact that many people don’t even know what PR is or what it does (need a refresher? Read this blog post), an even smaller number of folks know how to measure its effectiveness.
But wait… is it even possible to measure your PR efforts when all PR really does is send out press releases? Short answer: Yes.