Get Known. PR & Media Podcast

Veera Honkanen is the lone California-based correspondent for Finland’s largest business publication Kauppalehti. She is situated right in the heart of Silicon Valley where so many European companies try to break their way into the U.S. market. But Veera actually covers much more than just tech and in our conversation, we get into her wide range of topics from business to politics. 

We started by talking about how she got the California assignment and how working outside the country is different than being a reporter inside Finland.  She shares about her daily work, some of the tools she uses in her reporting, and the editorial process for a foreign correspondent.  We talk a bit about AI, AI tools, and their impact on journalism. She also gives some advice on what it takes to be a story worth writing and this led to a discussion about differences in attitudes towards “failure” in the U.S. vs. Finland.

Living in America is still a work in progress for Veera. There is a lot of trial and error to understand the culture but she has learned to adopt some American ways of working including the need for “just going for it”. She still gets approval for big stuff she wants to cover but she has learned to move fast and she says that has been an interesting personal adaptation. 

Veera gave lots of real-life examples from her reporting which made this interview full of insightful nuggets. We ended up talking about how doing business and getting covered in such a big place as the U.S. requires more than just a good product but an excellent story to compete with all the many excellent stories that are out there coming from the market.  The successful companies are well prepared beyond just having a product that does a job better than others. As Veera says, you need to be able to tell what emotionally drives a company forward and very often an interesting person who is willing to tell a bigger story. All this led to the general question of whether we are too comfortable with our lives in Finland and that maybe we need to find ways of getting more companies outside their comfort zone to reach more success.

Jennifer Brown is the executive editor of CBS News Radio based out of New York. We got the chance to sit down with her at the NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) event in Las Vegas in April. Jennifer and her team are responsible for all of the radio news journalism and broadcasts for CBS both in the US and around the world. We started our conversation talking about how Jennifer got into the business of radio news and then got into some of the basics about how the news we hear each day gets from the reporters out in the field, through the editors, to the anchors, and to our ears. 

There are close to 700 stations CBS Radio feeds the news people rely on each day and what I learned is that keeping the pulse of everything that is happening at the rapid-fire pace of today’s media and social media is like juggling 50 balls in the air at the same time. The newsroom has to work like a well-oiled machine and Jennifer is constantly making on-the-spot decisions about what stories are most important at that moment and what markets it is relevant to. In short, This is a super high-pressure job and with today’s mass and social media, the newsroom has little or no breaks in the firehose of content they have to sort through 24 hours a day. One of the cool things about this interview is that Jennifer was constantly using real examples of things that were happening at the moment as we got into understanding storytelling and the relevancy of those stories in the daily new cycle. Sometimes the story is not the event but the meaning of the story or a part of the event that has a wider application to people’s lives.  No matter what, it must be authentic and the editors are constantly working to capture that authenticity in addition to sharing the facts.. Jennifer’s core work focuses on breaking news from the U.S. but we also talked about some of the differences and story requirements for European stories to make it into the US media cycle. Radio broadcasting also has its differences from TV and video broadcasts. Jennifer helped give a picture of the challenges, behind-the-scenes work, and dedicated teams needed to pull all this off. 

If you ever wanted to know how the modern American newsroom functions and gets news out, this is the podcast for you.  Here is the interview with CBS Radio’s Executive Editor Jennifer Brown. Enjoy.

In April this year, Get Known got the chance to head to the U. S. National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) event in Las Vegas.  The event gave us an opportunity to interview Dan Shelley the President and CEO of the Radio Television Digital News Association or RTDNA. As you will hear, Dan has been a long-time journalist and newsroom leader who has had experiences over the decades setting the standard for how the biggest news organizations deliver news. Over that time he has been helping the industry transition from its analog roots to the digital area. 

In our interview, we start with some history of the RTDNA and how it works today. We then get into the constitutional purpose of journalism for the American public and some of the differences between that and Europe’s democracies.  Dan’s own background is itself a history lesson in how broadcast journalism and digital news evolved in the U.S. We get into talking about the production of digital news, the advocacy work of RTDNA on behalf of journalists, and news ethics in a world increasingly driven by social media and polarized information. 

The US broadcasting industry and how news is made in Europe have many similarities but have so many interesting differences from how things are done. As we in Europe engage with US media and make our mark, it is so important to take these understandings into consideration. The market in the U.S. is so big and diverse. But like everywhere, social media and general digitalization have been huge factors in how information is consumed and it is great to see there are people like Dan Shelley in the mix helping the industry grow and develop.

In this episode, we had the pleasure of talking with Chris Chinchilla who is a podcaster, video maker, and a writer of interactive fiction, and games. Chris runs his own media and podcast called Chinchilla Squeaks which covers all kinds of tech-related topics.  

Being and running an independent media has its own opportunities and challenges. It was great to sit down with a journalist in this space because it seems that more and more people with a niche understanding and interest are choosing to build their own freelance media and stepping away from the constraints of the established players.  These kinds of media open up the door to areas sometimes inaccessible by many bigger media companies that are forced by their editors to stay in a particular lane. 

Chris goes between covering the tech industry and helping people with specific tech tools with his writings, podcast, and YouTube channels.  We started out by getting to know what he likes to cover all these different areas and media types.  Chris actually has recently returned from Ukraine and covering the industry there. We talked about what it means to cover tech in a war zone. 

We talked a lot about how people engage with the media in different places and things that turn a journalist off from what you are trying to get coverage. As we have heard from other journalists, Chris reiterates that he is super interested in speaking with the real makers of tech and is less interested in talking to the marketing-oriented people. He gives some good tips for tech folks who are asked to speak in behalf of their companies. We also spoke about sponsored content and ways it can be both beneficial and unbiased. 

Every year in the dark and cold of winter in Helsinki, Finland, we and 13000 others find our way to Slush, the world’s leading startup event and the largest VC gathering.  This is a place where so many journalists also show up and question their sanity because as they say, no one in their right mind would come to Helsinki at the end of November. So it was a great chance to interview the bravest of the brave. 

In this episode, we had the pleasure of talking with Adam Bluestein a freelance journalist who is working for Fast Company and other U.S.-based publishers. We start by talking about Adam’s experience in Helsinki and what Finland needs to do to get more global attention. Later, we get into the details of what attracts his attention and his way of developing a good story. 

The one thing that stood out to me in our discussion was how tech journalism is about so much more than tech. It's about people, the dream, and impact. When it comes to working in PR and media, I was reminded how critical humanity and impact are to any story, especially when journalists write for a wider business-focused audience like Fast Company. 

Outside the interview, I got the treat of being able to spend time on a press tour with Adam where we got to see firsthand some of the amazing tech that is coming out of Finland. As you will here, we got to visit one quantum computing chip manufacturer at the Micronova Center for Applied Micro and Nanotechnology in Espoo, Finland. On that visit,  I got to see how he asks his questions and his way of exploring angles for a story. After this experience, I can’t stress how important it is for people in PR and media to spend time with journalists understanding their work, watching them operate, and getting to know them. It is by itself a school and as much as I can share through the podcasts, I want to encourage anyone reaching out to journalists to do more than focus on your own product and pitch. Spend some time with a journalist, it will open up your mind and your life.

Check out Adam's website at https://adambluestein.com/

In this episode, we had the pleasure of talking with Lou Covey the editor of Cyber Protection Magazine and the Crucial Tech podcast. Although, we have a deep interest in both these subjects, in this podcast episode we dove into the world of industry-specific media both on the side of journalism and a bit on the economics of running and editing this type of publication. As you will hear, Lou has a background not only in publishing but also in PR and media. When you talk to someone with such a diverse background and experience you get a great view from both sides of the table when it comes to PR. Industry-specific media also has its own nuances and economic model. We get the chance to dive deeper into how companies can better appeal to industry media and particularly about the unique cooperation marketing and press coverage have in industry-specific media.

Lou has been doing journalism everywhere from local news to well-known publications like the New York Times. So he brought all his experience to the table sharing information on the origins of the term earned media (go Finland!) and his decision-making on what to cover for Cyber Protection Magazine. He talks about the balance between news sourcing, and sponsorship. We also discuss journalism ethics within industry-specific media, his observations of how marketing and salespeople work together inside companies, and where journalism and PR fit within that combination. And an unforgettable history lesson about free press and advertising.

I really enjoyed not only the facts and observations that Lou brought to the table but also the real-life stories of his experiences that brought home this key area of journalism. Both the magazine and the podcast are looking to be a source of knowledge about the area of cybersecurity where there are not that many voices clarifying the landscape of more than 5,000 companies that are offering products and services. So, if you are looking to get industry-specific coverage for your company, this episode is a great opportunity to hear great advice from the inside.

In the world of journalism, do you know what a stringer and a fixer are?  In this episode, we had the pleasure of talking with Mari-Leena Kuosa who has been working in this capacity for many years for the New York Times, Voice of America, and many other publications. In fact, one of her stories have even been among the 10 most read articles from the the New York Times. We got the chance to sit down with her to talk about her career in journalism starting in Finnish media as a both a journalist and producer then moving on to international press where she has been part of the reporting teams of many of the stories you have seen in international press coming from Finland. 

Mari-Leena explains that  most press work for larger international publishers is actually done in teams that gather information, write and produce it. This is where fixers and stringers come in.  In this episode, Mari-Leena shares her experiences and advice for companies who want to get their stories heard. She talks about some of the interesting crazy days required and even a connection to her career to the heavy metal horror and Eurovision winner Lordi. We talk a lot about the differences and similarities between US and Finnish media and get a bit philosophical about the spread of misinformation.  As she says in the interview, its a big difference when it is much more likely you will run into the country’s president in the bathroom. 

We also discuss good pitching and the many other adventures on which her career in journalism has taken her.  

Check out Mari-Leena’s LinkedIn profile at  https://www.linkedin.com/in/mari-leena-kuosa/ and some links to other articles she has contributed to:

In this episode, we had the pleasure of talking with Thomas Macaulay from The Next Web (TNW) where he covers a wide range from startups to the tech ecosystem across Europe. Thomas had quite an indirect and inspiring route to becoming a journalist proving that a degree in journalism or communications is not the only path to success in tech journalism. 

In addition to his unique background and the development of TNW from a blog to the media and events organization it is today, we discuss the development of tech stories and the process of writing about very technical topics for a mass audience.  We also discuss the commercial and journalistic balance that must be combined to benefit all of TNW’s different businesses.   As we have spoken with many journalists on this podcast, the economics of journalism have changed significantly over the years as the internet and expectation of free content have had a massive impact.  We discuss how it is much more difficult to build a viable business on journalism alone and where that leaves reporting and his own job in this day and age. 

If you want to get Thomas excited about your tech story, he loves the more weird and wacky tech or things that have real human impact. We talk about his most recent work focused on the surprisingly boring business-driven pitching needed to raise money for a psychedelic startup. Our conversation into this topic actually provided insight into how the team at TNW works in pitching to their editors, developing the angle, and getting out 1 to 2 stories a day with their small team of 5 journalists.  Of course, we also talk about the relationship between “PRs” and journalists,  the massive amount of pitches received daily, how to stand out among all those potential stories, and what pushes Tuomas over the edge to take a story. 

To contact Thomas, he is best reached by email at [email protected].  You can keep up with The Next Web conferences on https://thenextweb.com/events .

Fake news, misinformation, and disinformation continue to be a huge problem in the world. It sometimes feels like you can’t trust anything you read. This was a bit of a different episode, where Steve Lee and Christina Forsgård, both comms pros, sat down and talked about the media and journalism getting deeper into this increasingly problematic issue.

Besides being the founder of Net Profile and crisis comms pro, Christina has spent years leading efforts in journalism and communication ethics to find ways to combat the growing problems with disinformation in the media. We got deep into the current culture of news consumption. the ways trust has been lost over the years and we discuss ways it might be brought back again. 

 Over the years the podcast has had conversations with different journalists whom we know are really providing solid reporting and ethical execution of information gathering and reporting. In my conversation with Christina, I was reminded how lucky we are to have journalism ethics and structures to share the truth.  But there are so many things that are getting in the way around the world and so many countries that do not have these freedoms we have in Finland and other Nordic countries.  Christina has great insights about how misinformation is happening around the current crisis in Ukraine and other ways bad news drives our news cycles.  In short, our conversation goes from Twitter to personal media consumption diversification so I am sure there is a bit of something for everyone as we try to solve one of the biggest issues in an internet-driven media world.   

In this episode, we had the pleasure of talking with Leah Hodgson from PitchBook.  We met Leah at Slush while she was digging into the stories behind the data that PitchBook gathers and publishes about the VCs and their activities. 

PitchBook started off in the US but Leah is the longest-serving journalist for the European news team.  Leah’s job is about completing the picture around the data and she appreciates the freedom within this kind of press organization where she can follow the pulse of the market and dig deep into the stories she thinks are most important. These data-driven ideas include looking at the dip most recently in fundraising deals and figuring out details about why investment trends are happening.  A good discussion was also had about series round labeling (pre-seed vs. seed? A round? B round?) and what they mean. This was not fully solved in our discussion but perhaps an understanding of the labeling and intention came out of it.  Of course, we also spoke about what makes a company interesting for the team to report on including the basic levels of investment PitchBook considers to be worth covering.