Coffee with a Journalist

In this episode of Coffee with a Journalist, host Beck Bamberger sits down with freelance travel and lifestyle writer Alesandra Dubin to discuss her experience in the world of journalism. Alesandra shares insights into the pitching process, her preferences for communication, and how publicists can build strong, lasting relationships with freelance writers. From the benefits of her Substack newslet...

In this episode of Coffee with a Journalist, host Beck Bamberger sits down with Emma Hinchliffe , Senior Writer at Fortune and author of the Broadsheet newsletter.  Emma shares insights into her work covering women in business, gender issues, and the most important stories affecting women. She discusses the evolving landscape of women's media coverage, how she filters through pitches, and the impo...

In this episode of Coffee with a Journalist, host Beck Bamberger sits down with Ian Kumamoto , a contributing writer for HuffPost and various other media outlets. Ian shares valuable insights into his inbox management and what catches his eye when considering pitches. He discusses the importance of building organic and respectful relationships with publicists and how a personalized and identity-fo...

In today's episode, we have the pleasure of chatting with freelance journalist Jared Lindzon . Jared, who writes about the future of work for prestigious publications such as the Globe and Mail and Fast Company's Work Life section, joins our hosts, Jered Martin and Beck Bamberger, to discuss the ins and outs of pitching and working with freelance journalists like himself. From setting pitches asid...

Welcome to another episode of Coffee with a Journalist, the podcast that brings you closer to the journalists behind the headlines. In today's episode, we sit down with Aria Bendix , Breaking Health Reporter for NBC News. Aria takes us through her process of sifting through pitches, shares her preferences for subject lines, and provides valuable insights on how to make a meaningful connection with...

Welcome to this week's episode of Coffee with a Journalist, where we bring you fascinating conversations with journalists and editors from top publications. In this episode, we have the pleasure of chatting with Hannah Orenstein , the deputy editor of Lifestyle and Wellness at Bustle. Hannah shares insights into the hectic world of an editor's inbox and offers some valuable advice for publicists t...

Welcome to Coffee with a Journalist! This week, we sit down with freelance science and technology journalist  Andrada Fiscutean . Based in Bucharest, Romania, Andrada writes for publications like Ars Technica, Vice Motherboard, ZDNet, Nature, and CSO Online, focusing on cybersecurity and the history of technology. She shares her unique perspective on covering stories that most staff writers wouldn...

Welcome to another episode of Coffee with a Journalist! In this episode, we have the pleasure of hosting Annalee Armstrong , the senior editor of Fierce Biotech. Fierce Biotech is a renowned trade publication that covers the latest news in the biotech industry, from drug development to cutting-edge scientific discoveries. Annalee shares insights on the hectic world of journalism, including the cha...

In this episode, Alexis Morrillo , lifestyle editor at Bustle, gives us insight into the unique approach Bustle takes in covering trending stories. As a platform aimed at the Gen Z/Millennial audience, Bustle delves into the niche corners of the Internet, from viral TikTok trends to seasonal moments and gift guides. Alexis shares how Bustle's editorial team thrives on chaotic pitches and taps into...

In this episode, our host Beck Bamberger sit down with Steffi Cao , a staff writer for Forbes, who specializes in covering the creator economy and internet culture. Steffi shares her insights on the creator economy beat, what catches her attention in pitches, and why she rarely writes about PR agency pitches. She also discusses the breadth of the creator economy, from Twitch streamers to hologram...

In this episode, our host Beck Bamberger interviews senior reporter Deanna Cuadra from Employee Benefit News. Deanna shares insights about her background in film and how it influences her reporting. She also discusses the importance of including relevant sources in pitches, offers tips on how to catch her attention in the subject line, and more!

In this episode, host Beck Bamberger sits down with the fabulous Dani Kwateng , executive editor of Teen Vogue. Dani gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the evolution of Teen Vogue over the past two decades and shares her insights on how writers can successfully pitch concepts and ideas to her as an editor. She also discusses the importance of exclusives and how they can be funneled to other este...

In today's episode, we have the pleasure of speaking with Bree Fowler , the senior writer of cybersecurity and digital privacy from CNET. Bree shares her insights on building relationships through face-to-face meetings and the importance of establishing a connection with PR professionals. She also gives us a glimpse into her inbox, revealing how she manages the influx of pitches and the art of org...

On this episode of Coffee with a Journalist, we sit down with Catherine Perloff , a reporter from Adweek. She gives us insight into her coverage of ad tech, social media platforms, and their influence on the marketing community. Catherine discusses the nuances of exclusives, how to approach her with trend stories she hasn't covered yet, the value of regular source conversations, and more.

In this week's episode, we have the pleasure of sitting down with Anna Hrushka, a senior reporter from Banking Dive. Anna's expertise lies in covering the banking and fintech sector, and she played a vital role in launching the Banking Dive vertical. During our conversation, Anna shares her interests in bank and fintech partnerships, her knack for finding second-day stories that deepen major news...

In today's episode, we have a special guest joining us, Sarah Whitten from CNBC. Sarah is an entertainment reporter based in Los Angeles. She has been covering the industry for nearly a decade.  During the episode, Sarah shares her tips for effective pitching, including the importance of building relationships with sources and crafting attention-grabbing headlines. She also reveals the types of st...

Moises Mendez II from TIME magazine is our guest this week on Coffee with a Journalist. Moises is a culture reporter who covers a wide range of topics, from the Internet and movies to music, TV, books, and podcasts. In this episode, Moises shares his insights into his preferences for exclusive pitches about creators. He also gives valuable advice on how to prolong a professional relationship with...

In this week's episode, Colleen DeBaise, the executive editor of The Story Exchange shares her insights on the world of journalism, providing valuable tips and advice for anyone looking to pitch their stories to media outlets. Colleen DeBaise talks about her process of skimming pitches, the importance of subject lines, and her preference for building relationships with PR professionals in person.

In today's episode, we have the pleasure of sitting down with Christopher Zara, a senior editor at Fast Company and the mastermind behind the news desk. Christopher recently released a memoir titled "Uneducated," which delves into the value of higher education and challenges the stigma of not having a degree. During our conversation, Christopher opens up about his personal journey and shares why h...

In today's episode, Aarthi Swaminathan, the housing reporter at MarketWatch, brings her expertise on real estate and travel to the table. During the episode, Aarthi shares insights about her work, including the types of pitches she's interested in receiving. She discusses the significance of exclusives and embargoes, as well as the importance of data in her reporting. Aarthi also reveals her prefe...

Sarah Burke , the editor-in-chief of Them, a platform for LGBTQ+ people from Condé Nast is our guest this week on Coffee with a Journalist. Sarah discusses the target audience and focus of stories for Them readers, as well as who to pitch from the publication, specifically the section editors. She shares valuable tips on how to craft compelling subject lines to catch her and her team's attention....

On this episode of Coffee with a Journalist, we sit down with Rebecca Ruiz , a senior reporter at Mashable, to discuss her coverage of mental health, digital culture, and technology. Rebecca shares her insights on effective subject lines for PR professionals and highlights the keywords and strategies that grab her attention. She also reveals her interests in exploring how people's well-being and m...

On this episode of Coffee with a Journalist, Alexa Mikhail , a health and wellness reporter for Fortune's Well team, joins us. Alexa discusses her role at Fortune Well, sharing that she joined the team about a year ago as a health and wellness reporter. Her main focus is on mental health and workplace wellness, but she also covers topics unrelated to business. She also shares insights on the lates...

On this Coffee with a Journalist episode, Kevin Dugan from New York Magazine is the featured guest. Kevin has over a decade of experience covering the finance industry and has established a solid list of sources and contacts. During the episode, he talks about exclusives he would consider covering, including people with power and money in finance, economics, and crypto. Kevin Dugan also shares his...

Sara Spruch-Feiner, a senior reporter for Glossy and the force behind their Pop vertical, is the guest on this week's episode of Coffee with a Journalist. Sara talks about her reporting style, the importance of specificity in pitches, and why she prioritizes her four-story-a-week workload over coffee dates with publicists. She emphasizes the value of authenticity in pitches and advises against pit...