cogcast

Gary Siegel has been with The Bond Buyer — the only independent information resource serving the entire municipal finance community — since 1989. In this episode, he reflects on what it means to cover the economic indicators and the Federal Reserve for over 35 years, from the pre-Internet word-processor era to today's multimedia landscape. Gary shares a candid take on the state of journalism, argu...

Brett Farmiloe, founder of Featured.com and Help a Reporter Out (HARO), has spent nearly two decades building platforms that connect expert sources with journalists — and he's watched the media landscape shift in ways that few others have seen from the inside. In this episode, Brett breaks down what journalists actually want from sources (hint: he has an acronym for it), why he believes irrelevant...

We trade the Zoom screen for the studio for a sitdown with veteran financial journalist Gregg Greenberg. As the host of In the NASDAQ for InvestmentNews, Gregg has spent 25 years interviewing the biggest names in finance, from fund managers to CEOs. In a media landscape increasingly dominated by remote calls, Gregg champions the "personal touch" of face-to-face conversation – but that doesn’t mean...

Megan Leonhardt, economics reporter at Barron's, shares her unconventional journey from aspiring food and travel writer to data-obsessed financial journalist – despite being terrible at math and taking her macro and micro econ classes as summer school courses. In this conversation, she reveals what it takes to break through at a top-tier publication, why she recently told a longtime source hi...

Peter Valdes-Dapena has lived every major shift in modern journalism, from the first digital newsrooms to today’s algorithm-driven landscape. In this episode, he speaks with Larissa Padden about what’s changed, what’s been lost, and the signals that point to where the industry is moving next. They cover the rise of Substack, Peter’s own Substack InCar ,  the pressure on freelancers, and the r...

Jon Swartz, Techstrong reporter and former USA Today technology correspondent, shares his journey from small-town Georgia newspaper to Silicon Valley insider. He reveals why journalism still matters in PR strategies, which stories break through the noise, and what happens when local newspapers disappear. Drawing from decades covering everyone from Apple to defunct startups, Swartz explains why the...

Veteran banking journalist Steve Cocheo, Senior Executive Editor at The Financial Brand, describes the AI-driven pitching crisis overwhelming his inbox – 80 irrelevant PR emails a week, many from people who’ve never read the publication. The breaking point came when a publicist admitted she’d used ChatGPT to identify outlets, and the system confidently but wrongly claimed The Financial Brand cover...

Caroline Nihill, reporter at IT Brew covering cybersecurity and IT strategy, joins Larissa Padden to discuss her unconventional path from fashion writing to tech journalism and her firm stance against using AI in her reporting. Caroline reveals why she believes the most effective pitches focus on expertise over product launches, and how she finds unique story angles that resonate with human reader...

Diana Britton trashes half her daily pitches before reading past the subject line. The WealthManagement.com Executive Editor wants CEOs who will actually say something, not PR-trained robots. Plain language, not "leveraging synergies." The first trillion-dollar RIA, not the five hundredth firm to hit $500M. She also runs The Healthy Advisor, exploring why financial advisors face higher addiction a...

In this episode of Cogcast, host Larissa Padden sits down with Geoffrey Barraclough, founder of The Business of Payments newsletter and part-time Westminster City Council member. Geoffrey shares his unique journey from payment industry executive to influential Substack creator, offering insights into how the media landscape is evolving beyond traditional journalism. He reveals how major payment co...

In this episode of Cogcast, Larissa Padden sits down with Jennifer Riggins, a tech journalist who's spent 16 years bridging the gap between developers and business value. With her unique perspective as a non-technical writer covering developer experience and the culture of tech, Jennifer offers insights on AI's real purpose in the workplace, the importance of protecting junior developer roles, and...

In this episode of Cogcast, special guest host Hannah Porritt interviews Leslie White, senior director, marketing and global head of digital channel performance and strategy at Aon. Sharing lessons learned from her self-proclaimed roots as a nerd and her beginnings “reverse engineering websites, Leslie shares invaluable lessons from experience – with includes affiliate marketing, Google Ads, CRMs,...

In this episode of Cogcast, host Larissa Padden interviews Masha Angelova, Editorial Producer at the US Chamber of Commerce and creator of their show, The Call. Drawing from her extensive experience as a booking producer at CNN and Yahoo Finance, Masha shares invaluable insights into what gets PR pitches noticed, what makes for successful broadcast appearances, and why she pivoted from fast-paced...

In this episode of Cogcast, host Larissa Padden speaks with Esther Shittu, an AI News Writer for TechTarget. Esther shares her journey from TV production to tech journalism and explains what PR professionals need to know about the evolving AI landscape. She breaks down the concept of agentic AI in simple terms, discusses what stories currently interest her, and reveals how to pitch effectively in...

In this episode of Cogcast, host Larissa Padden speaks with financial reporter Mallika Mitra about her journey in journalism and transition to freelancing. Mallika shares insights from her career path through CNBC, Bloomberg, and Money.com before becoming a freelance writer for publications like Barron's, Kiplinger, and Business Insider. She discusses how freelancing has paradoxically provided mor...

In this episode of Cogcast, Larissa Padden sits down with Michael Thrasher, a seasoned journalist who has spent over a decade covering wealth and asset management. Thrasher shares his journey from working at Institutional Investor magazine to founding Modus News, a newsletter dedicated to family office professionals. Michael sat down to talk about the decision to strike out on his own, how he work...

Michelle Chan, sustainable finance and ESG reporter at The International Financing Review (IFR), discussed her career transition from Nikkei Asia to The Wall Street Journal and now to IFR. She highlighted IFR's paywall-protected business model and shared her thoughts on the future of ESG including the potential impact of the incoming Trump administration.  

Rachel Curry, a freelance reporter contributing to CNBC and Observer, discussed her journey into freelancing, emphasizing the importance of pitching to editors and building relationships. She highlighted the challenges of standing out amidst numerous pitches and the value of relevant, non-trite stories, particularly in tech and AI. Curry also announced her upcoming newsletter, "Acronym," set to la...

Global Capital’s U.S. Bureau Chief Oliver West joins Cogcast to discuss the delicacies of banker-source relationships, reporting on the capital markets and the value in speaking with the trade media – despite the paywalls. In this latest episode, Olly talks about his career journey from covering Latin American bonds to the U.S. ABS market as well as how he prefers to work with sources and the bala...

From his early days writing headlines in India to his current role as US e-commerce and retail correspondent at Reuters, reporting on big business in the U.S. Siddharth Cavale puts into context the global trends that bring goods to your stores. In the latest episode of Cogcast, Siddharth shares his career journey at Thomson Reuters with Account Director and former reporter Larissa Padden, as well...

TSAM New York is the premier event, convening the leaders of Asset Management. Andrew Kerry, CEO of Foxon Media, joins Vanja Lakic for a conversation on this year’s event themes, headline speakers and what’s next for the conference. From AI, data and client-centric innovations, dive into the latest episode of Cogcast for a glimpse of the prominent themes and technologies moving the Asset Managemen...

In this episode of Cogcast, Michaela Morales, Cognito’s in-house wealth management expert, sits down with Toby Salinger, Chief Correspondent at Financial Planning , to explore the evolving landscape of wealth management. They dive into the rise of independent advisors, the ongoing wave of industry consolidation, and how private equity is reshaping the sector. Toby shares insights on the increasing...

From her days reporting on ESPN to teaching the next generation of reporters, Jane McManus has witnessed how both the sports industry and journalism’s role in world have evolved first-hand. In the latest episode of Cogcast, Jane shares her career journey within sports with Account Director – and former student – Vanja Lakic, from her early days covering The Jets, the social media’s democratization...

Every second counts. James Faris Senior Investing Reporter at Business Insider stresses the importance of a more discerning focus when pitching. Investing your time in strategic outreach can lead to better results that require less work. Find more about his journey and what he’s currently reporting on in the newest episode of Cogcast with Account Director Larissa Padden. 

Tech PR specialist Vanja Lakic spoke with her Cogcast co-host Larissa Padden about what she’s expecting to see at this year’s Collision conference, one of the biggest tech events in the world, Vanja talks about the opportunities for firms looking to make a splash, differences between the US and Canadian media landscapes and what you need to know about pitching Canadian journalists. Listen to Vanja...