A Kohl-Hearted Online Order – Part 1
09.17.2025 – Interesting PR lessons can be learned when someone steals your credit card number. Besides myself, the primary stakeholders in this event are the credit card company, two vendors, two hotel chains, a local police department, and those who tried to scam me. Here’s the timeline of this story and the role each of these stakeholders played…
A Candid Conversation with a Journalist (Part 4) – PR Pros, Spin, and the Truth
09.10.2025 – One of the most poignant questions I asked Kingsport Times-News Editor Carol Broyles during my July interview with her was her honest opinion of PR pros. The sad reality of the PR industry and the PR pros that work in it is that it has a tarnished image in the eyes of some. That’s because back in the day, publicists would do ANYTHING (lie, twist the truth, etc.) to get the company they were representing in the news. These PR practitioners were given the name “flacks” — a very offensive term for PR pros. Imagine that: PR has bad PR. Yikes. (Who do you hire to fix THAT??) But every industry has bad apples. That’s just how it goes.
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.
What Mountain Biking Taught Me About PR — And How It Can Help Your Business Win
08.06.2025 – Some people find peace in yoga. Others in baking sourdough bread. Me? I find it racing down a trail with dirt on my calves and a kind of quiet joy that doesn’t show up in selfies. I started competing in mountain bike races in 7th grade through NICA (National Interscholastic Cycling Association) — and I haven’t stopped riding since. Now, as a PR student and intern, I’m realizing just how many lessons from the trail apply to building brands, leading teams, and communicating with impact.
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.