Tales From the Beat

Wanna make an editor or reporter's eyes cloud over? Pitch a story about some company using the "cloud." Doesn't have to be that way, though.

It's finally over. The auto strikes. But UAW president Shawn Fain emerged as both a transformative leader and a folk hero by winning major pay raises and other benefits for his members. It led to a song. If you get through the intro for a couple of minutes, you can hear it.

Bill Koenig and I have run into each other over the decades as competitors and friends on the auto beat and now we're working together as contributors at Forbes.com. We're just coming off some crazy auto contract talks, and strikes so Bill and I had plenty to talk about looking back at covering negotiations and United Autoworkers Union presidents of the past including the current one, Shaw...

The president of the United Autoworkers union is brash, threatening, loud and direct. Shawn Fain is trying to bargain a new contract for his members. But six weeks into what he calls a "stand up" strike, taking down plants without notice, there's no deal yet. Is he overplaying his hand, digging in for the best new contract after GM, Ford and Stellantis have raised their offers, or is...

From plastics to beauty innovations to inane questions about whether or not to meet for an interview, my email box filled with PR pitches way outside the heart of the plate. This week's Tales From Beat runs 'em down.

I worked with Carin Lagerstedt on a story about company based in Sweden..but that was over Zoom. Wonder of wonders she popped over the ocean to attend a trade conference here in the Detroit area so I finally got to meet her in person...and get her behind the mic to talk about her career, working with reporters in Europe and North America, her best strategies for landing stories and something about...

Being on vacation this week didn't mean I didn't have to do some investigative reporting. It involved a death, a stink and a scoop. It's all in this week's episode of Tales From the Beat.

I'm covering the strike by the UAW against GM, Ford and Stellantis as a semi-retired freelancer. Most of the time I don't actually go anywhere, but the other day I couldn't take it any longer, so I put on pants and hit the picket line. Reminded me of good times as a CNN correspondent back in 1998 covering the 54 day walkout against GM. Teaser...it involved the Spice Girls.

Two automotive shows happening at the same time 30 miles apart. One, once a magnet for thousands of journalists from around the world, now reduced to a regional carnival, the other, a trade show growing so fast it's outgrown its venue and smart enough to move to a later date to avoid the obvious conflict for auto reporters faced with trying to cover both. My first-hand thoughts in this Tale of...

Remember how Ross yelled at Rachel and Chandler to "Pivot!" to get his stupid couch up the stairs? Well, in the news and PR rackets sometimes you've got to pivot to get it all done, especially when you're thrown a lot of things at once. This week's episode is all about pivots past and present, and why they can make your head spin...and that's the fun of it.

It's our 50th episode of Tales From the Beat. In honor, or in spite, of that milestone, and with apologies to Paul Simon, I offer 50 Ways to Reach a Writer.

A frontal flak attack, combined with colliding stories and a Ukrainian frock for Beyonce. Sound like a normal week? Hell, no!

The contract talks between the UAW and Detroit 3 automakers are down to their last few weeks and the new union president is talking tough. Over the past three decades as a reporter and PR guy I've had contact with several past UAW presidents. All different. My recollections, including covering the day one of them died.

You get an invite to an event figuring the organizers want you to cover it. You RSVP you're in. But then you're out. Huh? This week's true story about the story I was uninvited to cover.

It doesn't take a MENSA membership to be smart enough to understand the meaning of someone's vacation out of office email response. Except, based on the actions of a couple of PR people during my recent vacation, maybe it does!

When you're pursuing your news or PR career do you jibe or tack? In this week's Tales From the Beat I talk about how those sailing terms apply to the way you attack things--Do you go where the wind blows, or take a more measured approach?

General Motors has decided to be very transparent during contract negotiations with the UAW by going online. But when I worked at Chrysler back in 2007, we already adopted this tactic to great effect. Yes, transparency is best to get your message out, clearly. Link to PR Week story on the Chrysler website: https://www.prweek.com/article/1255559/chryslers-social-media-site-helps-drive-comms-wake-st...

What do PR people call you in story pitch emails? It's not always what you expect..or appreciate. The name game's been part of my life since my life began. Huh? It's all in this week's episode of Tales From the Beat.

Is the PR person pitching you an exclusive or an advance? They're not the same, but sadly, too many purveyors of PR seem to be a little confused, so in this episode of Tales From the Beat, I call on a little help from the voices of Schoolhouse Rock and the artificially intelligent wonders of ChatGPT to help me parse it all out.

Miss pithy, creative writing with fun wordplay? You know what to blame...its initials are SEO. In this episode I take SEO to task and abuse its use the way it deserves to be abused. Have some fun with me and get in your licks.

Went to an automotive trade show last week, but not before being gang-tackled via email story pitches. Then I faced an added challenge. What happened, how I overcame it and some creative advice for both reporters and PR people for both pitching and covering such events--all with a little help from Smokey Robinson and the Miracles

I was the first "Supervising Producer" at CNN Center when it opened in 1987. Now it's closing and CNN's Atlanta operations are moving back uptown about two miles to the site of its origins across from Georgia Tech. In this episode I offer some recollections and even secrets about CNN Center.

It takes a little Beatles, New Girl and the late Gilbert Gottfried to help tell this one. It's all about pitches for stories that all have the same premise: "what they're doin." It's hardly ever a real story, but there's hope for PR people stuck with pitching these non-stories in this week's episode of Tales From the Beat.

Why are PR people pitching me interviews over hot drinks or hot meals when interrogation during ingestion is just a hot mess. Here's the proof of the uneaten pudding and cold coffee.

For Carole King it was too late for a crappy ex-lover. For reporters, it's too late PR people who fill our inboxes with stale pitches or just too late, baby to matter. I run down my detestable tardies and offer some tips.