VC firm Andreessen Horowitz is building what you might call its own Wired — a pro-tech media brand appealing both to consumers and business. It’s unnamed as yet, but A16Z is hiring fast. So far, at least, parts of it appear to be pitchable.
SWMS contributor Rhiannon Pacheco writes: We connected with Bloomberg consumer tech reporter Mark Gurman to explore what it would take for him to cover a less well-established company than Apple, and why he’s excited to explore (and cover) the technology that will follow the smartphone.
Cade Metz is consistent. We interviewed him in 2008, 2012 and 2015. Each time he has carried the same message: though he reports on tech, it’s always about the people. This week we checked in with Cade to discuss Genius Makers, his new book about “the mavericks who brought AI to Google, Facebook and the world.” Again with the people!
Forbes senior editor Alex Konrad gave us a metric ton of insight this month — one article just wasn’t enough. So this week we plumb the notebook of SWMS contributor Rhiannon Pacheco, who interviewed Alex earlier this month, and present the rest of Alex’s thoughtful and heartfelt advice for PR pros looking to win his attention.
Sometimes it pays to go to the top. If you’re pitching something truly conceptual — something that can make a publication look prescient in the long run — then go to the editorial board. We’ve got a list of six boards for you, with contact info.
Christopher Mims isn’t your typical Tier 1 columnist. Chris reports his theses. Coming from a science background, he surrounds his opinions with lots of evidence — much of it empirical. Given the challenges associated with pitching someone like Chris, it might be best to think of him as a proxy for all of “Tier 1.”
Few topics captivate reporters more than the future. SWMS this week studied the past two “The Future of Everything” reports in the WSJ — and a dozen stories in Fast Company’s The Shape of Tomorrow section — to identify pitch approaches that might work for you.
Are you struggling to interest Tier 1 reporters in lesser-known clients? So is Jason Calacanis. The former journalist and well-known investor and podcaster sounded off Jul. 7 to CNBC’s Jon Fortt and two other hosts about the trouble he and other VCs have had in breaking through — especially to the New York Times.
Fast Company technology editor Harry McCracken sheds light on newsgathering at physical and virtual events, and changes in FC edit coverage brought on by Covid and other factors. Interview was conducted July 2020.
Barron’s associate editor Eric Savitz weighs in on virtual events — those from Barron’s and others — and what it might take for them to succeed. One thing is for sure, Eric says: “People are trying to make them work.”
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This will get a lot of coverage, with any luck. Subscription may be required.
Terrific interview in Press Gazette UK with Dow Jones CEO and WSJ publisher Almar Latour. Revenue and earnings are up — 80 percent comes from digital. Advertising revenue was down slightly, but subscriptions are strong and growing. Almar was quite generous in his advice to competitors — “differentiate,” he says.
A survey fielded Nov. 27 asked how much (or how little) subscribers would pay for The Economist’s subscriber-only podcasts and newsletters, as well as its digital edition and a digital-print bundle. The survey strategy is brilliant: what if the publication charges too much, or worse, too little? Clearly, the publication is contemplating pricing changes and wants to maximize revenue.
“You can read us first, or read them later,” says The Information in a new advertising campaign. You will not see a better way to call attention to excellent editorial.
What a good idea — and lucrative too. Fortune launches a list of the biggest companies in Europe by revenue. Can the Fortune 500 Asia be far behind?
The FT has a cool scoop about Hunterbrook, a new kind of investment firm. Guided in part by former WSJ EIC Matt Murray, Hunterbrook’s business model is part investment firm, part publisher. The investment side of the house drives a (theoretically) market-moving business deal, while the publishing side of the house — comprised of veteran business reporters and analysts — works alongside under NDA. At the very moment the deal is announced, the editorial side publishes the article, moving the market and giving Hunterbrook first-mover advantage. It’s all legal. though leaks could pose a moral hazard.
