Get Known. PR & Media Podcast

In this episode, we had the pleasure of talking with Khari Johnson, Senior Writer at Wired Magazine.  We originally thought that his focus was AI but found out that his work goes far beyond that to the “intersection of technology, society, and power”.  So much of our lives take the technology that drives our lives for granted as it is so seamless to the user that it often has huge amounts of influence over the way we function and yet we have no idea how much it impacts us.  In this interview, Khari tells about some of the places his reporting has taken him to and shares his process for getting stories both written and published.  We talk about working with editors and he helps build a much better understanding of the life of a writer.  He also shares some of the inspirational history of his family’s roots in journalism and how diversity can help make journalism and publishing better.

In this episode, we had the pleasure of talking with Robin Wauters, founder of Tech EU.  Robin was not originally trained as a journalist but rather in marketing. He found his passion for journalism and tech in the mid-2000s after starting his own blog and then over time turning that into a media company. He has been with publishers including Techcrunch and Next Web before starting Tech EU.

Along with giving some great tips for companies that want to get into the media, Robin shares his experiences from his own journey reporting on the start-up ecosystems and technology. His work has led him to his love to see start-ups grow up in front of his eyes and this passion drives the writing of the stories in Tech EU. Throughout the interview, he shares insights about the Tech EU editorial process and how they deal with pitches. Robin also talks about the balance between getting a news story out and wanting to dive deeper into all the cool technology that is out there to share.

In this episode, we had the pleasure of talking live from Slush with Mimi Billing from Sifted who started by giving us an understanding of where the name of the publication comes from. Mimi is a Swede who found her love for journalism on a trip to Israel.  Her main beat is health tech but she is most recently interested in new tech like nuclear power.

Startups are doing so many great things but she tells us that it's so important to go deeper in a story if you want to make something people really want to read. Throughout the interview, she provides interesting insight on how she works with editors at Sifted and how she chooses the stories to write about.

In this episode, we had the pleasure of talking with Erica Benke from the BBC who shared her experiences covering stories from basic income and climate change to winter cycling and clean water usage technology. In our conversation, she offers tips in talking to journalists and getting your pitch story right along with providing an inside look at her own pitching of stories to editors and how that process works within the BBC.

Much of our conversation had to do with making sure an element of humanity along with simplicity are keys to making a great story (or a great pitch).

Below are a few links to some of Erika’s most popular stories:

Lapland living story link

The Finnish Experiment Basic Income

The tech that could make water use sustainable

Photo by Sanna Krook

In this episode, we had the pleasure of talking with Lisa Morgan, content strategist, and journalist for Information Week. If you are into nerdy subjects and bringing life to stories about tech, Lisa has done it all. She shares key points about her process for finding good stories in the tech world along with how following her interests drives her writing.  She also talks about how COVID-19 in 2020 affected tech reporting and what exciting themes 2021 will bring. In her mind, we have all learned a lot and the entire tech world has transformed into a world where we must be agile and we have to use tech to pivot. Lisa also talks about the way she is using AI in her own work.

In our discussion, Lisa also went through the process she goes through in pitching new ideas to her editors.  We discuss what editors are concerned about and the pressures that journalists are under to help the publication reach its readership goals. Lisa shares how editors differ and what makes them choose one topic over another.

We have spoken to some journalists who say bringing humanity into a tech story is difficult. But I was surprised to find out that for Lisa, it’s fairly easy. She says it’s all in asking the right questions and having the right source with the right credibility with the audience.

In this episode, we had the pleasure of talking with Jari Tanner. Before his 16 years working at the Associated Press, Jari built experience at international news agencies like Bloomberg and Reuters. He is currently part of the AP team that covers the 7 countries in the Nordic and Baltic regions and spends most of his time in Finland and Estonia.

Jari starts with a brief history of the AP and its interesting non-profit model, continuing with his thoughts on what it takes for a story to be accepted by this strictly journalistic organization.

He also tells listeners about the skills required to build an incredibly concise story that his editors will agree to run, including the compelling pictures and videos that are part of every AP story. Linked to this is the way social media is changing the way news is reported.

Throughout the interview, he provides advice for companies who want to pitch to the AP. It seems that humanity is a big part of every AP story. COVID-19 dominated 2020, but there are places where other stories meet the high threshold of interest. This would include Jari’s breaking of the hobby horse phenomenon in Finland that was then reported all over the globe.

A  personal show note from Steve for a unique Get Known Episode:

Needless to say, with a global pandemic combined with a major social awakening that has been sparked by the killing of another unarmed black American, George Floyd, we happen to be in a moment that feels like a special opportunity for truth and understanding. Of course, when we are directly touched by seeing people we often know pushed to their limits and we see the protest in our own streets, it is easy to feel this way.  But this time, for me, the media I consume has provided so much new context and learning that it has made me feel very hopeful about the future. This is despite the fact that the things we are seeing and hearing are often horrible.

I had the pleasure of stumbling upon a LinkedIn post from Laura Smith in my own search for more knowledge and understanding of the history of the black experience that led to the most recent protests.  Laura is another African American comms person living in Helsinki. In her YouTube video, she beautifully lays out some very concrete ways companies and individuals are able to use this moment to make a lasting difference. So I thought I would ask her to expand upon her thoughts in a discussion for Get Known.

We talk about internal and external communications, the media, Finland, race, and some things from our own lives here and in the US.

As promised in the podcast, below are a few links that I found helpful in my education. Even as a person of color, there has been a lot to learn and listen to because I am finding out there is so much I don’t know.  So I hope these additional items help you as well.

In this episode, we had the pleasure of talking with one of the best-known business journalists in Finland, Elina Lappalainen.  A lot of people know Elina as a tough journalist. and she is. But as you will hear,  it is clear that you can be a no-bullshit journalist and still be a really nice person.  You might be surprised to find out that she is into role-playing games and has written several children’s books.

In our interview, Elina shared lots of inside knowledge on how stories get written, what companies should and should not do. She also talked about how PR people can help her get more stories out with so many pitches to choose from.

Elina primarily covers the broad range of Finnish startups. As a business publication, Talouselämä’s and the other beats that Elina writes for are looking for business stories including growth and internationalization. But Elina did give away her soft spot for stories and that is companies that are making an impact on the world.

In this episode, we had the pleasure of talking with Charlotte Jee from MIT Technology Review (Tech Review). Charlotte is a UK based journalist responsible for the Tech Review’s newsletter the download.  She also writes news and features for the publication.

In this episode, we had the pleasure of speaking with Peter Vesterbacka from FinEst and FinestNinja. Peter is perhaps best known from his work at Angry Birds.  Peter talks to us about his views and advice after many years helping companies get known and stay known.