12 Commandments from Contributed Content Gatekeepers
April 26, 2022
5:46 am
This month we studied guidelines from contributed content gatekeepers. Dozens and dozens of them.
>> Strategies & Pitch Opps
Analysis: A Tale of Two Fortunes
April 22, 2022
8:20 am
This is a tale of two Fortunes — “new” Fortune and “classic” Fortune, each with their own needs and culture. You’ll want to approach accordingly.
Change is Coming to 31-Year-Old ZDNet
March 4, 2022
9:22 am
Change is coming to 31-year-old ZDNet. According to EIC Jason Hiner, ZDNet is honing its focus on professionals of all sorts — not just IT pros. Its historic emphasis on B2B and IT will soon be over.
Toolkit: How Do You Get Tier 1 Coverage for Private Companies?
February 17, 2022
9:46 am
How do private companies get covered by reporters committed to cover public companies? Like anything else in PR, it’s difficult but not impossible. Here’s something of a toolkit we hope can help.
Tom Krazit’s Secret Weapon
February 12, 2022
4:10 pm
PR pros often wonder how to measure the influence of a particular publication. Similarweb measures audience size and that’s great. How do you measure a publication’s relationship with its readers?
Axios Launches Five Vertical Newsletters
January 27, 2022
8:25 am
Axios Pro officially launched last week. It comprises three verticals focused on “PE, VC and M&A” news in fintech, health tech and retail. Later this year, look for climate and media verticals. Price: $599 a year for each vertical, after a 14-day free trial.
Meet The Wikipedia Whisperer, David King
December 12, 2021
8:32 am
SWMS contributor Bob Scheier writes: A company’s Wikipedia entry is often one of the first to come up in response to a Web search, and might get more exposure than its Twitter, Facebook or other social media account.
Back-Door Pitch Opp: WSJ’s ‘Personal Board of Directors’
September 15, 2021
3:07 pm
There’s a back door to landing a C-title profile in the Wall Street Journal. There’s also a catch: the executive must maintain a “personal board
28 Terms That Communicators Might Not Want to Use Anymore
April 28, 2021
4:47 pm
DEI awareness is one thing, applying its principles through official corporate language quite another. We had the opportunity to examine a style guide produced by a tech company steeped in content publishing. There’s a lot to learn from it.
Be an ‘Expert’ in the WSJ
February 17, 2021
9:32 pm
The Wall Street Journal is about to ramp up The Experts, the contributed content operation affiliated with Journal Report. WSJ is open to vetting new “panelists” (contributors) in each of six areas: energy, health, leadership, retirement, small business and wealth management.
YOUR ACCOUNT
FRIDGE NOTES
BI Lets You Advertise Against Emotion
July 13, 2025
Using NLP software, Business Insider assesses how readers will react to its content emotionally, and then sells advertising based on that info. For example, an advertiser can choose to advertise against a story (or video) that makes you feel good or optimistic or pessimistic. This is where content is headed; and this trend may someday affect the way that you pitch.
Just What We Need: An Avalanche of Fake News Sites
July 12, 2025
An avalanche of fake news sites threatens the viability of the web itself. You may need a subscription to read this article, but this publication is definitely worth the money for a subscription.
Ron Miller’s Bosses at Boldstart Raise $250M
July 9, 2025
The former TC star reporter picked a good place to go. Here’s his latest.
ChatGPT Caught Lying
July 5, 2025
When Axios prompted ChatGPT for basic background research on Wealthfront’s confidential IPO filing last week, the bot confidently detailed a Wealthfront investor deck. The problem? It appears to be entirely made up.
Axios Belatedly Launches A Business-of-Media Event Franchise
June 26, 2025
Indy media business experts Brian Morrissey and Jacob Cohen Donnelly have built two very successful businesses with both newsletters and face-to-face events. Axios has noticed this and has decided to get into the event space focusing on the economics of publishing, which of course is a topic close to home. Announced this week: an Axios event coming up in September. Hosts: Sara Fischer and Kerry Flynn.