Moving Blog to Lede Media Site

I am moving this blog to a new URL on the Lede Media website, which I recently launched. You can find it here and just navigate to the blog. I’ve updated the new site with all prior posts, so the archive is complete.

For those who are email subscribers here, I’ve moved your subscriptions to Lede Media, so you will continue to receive new posts uninterrupted. I will also continue to share my posts on social media.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my work here and look forward to continuing to provide insightful commentary on the new website. My next post is coming shortly.

The 3 B’s of Pitching Journalists: Brevity, Brevity, Brevity

I’ve spent my entire career as either a consumer or producer of story pitches and there are several truths that have stood the test of time.

In a post discussing a recent Muck Rack survey of journalists, PRNEWS hit on a point that bears repeating. In a list of reporter responses outlining what comprises the perfect pitch, the author included this:

“69% prefer pitches under 200 words”

(For context, this post totals 197 words, headline excluded.)

There are a lot of reasons this may be true, many tied to the current environment in which reporters are under pressure from newsroom cutbacks, a lightning-fast news cycle, greater scrutiny and increased overall responsibilities.

The most important, however, is the simple fact that short and to-the-point email pitches – written in clear, jargon-free prose – work best.

They capture the reporter’s attention. Make a powerful case. Demonstrate respect for the journalist’s time. And leave the door open for follow-up.

Stuffing your pitches with extra facts, multiple proof points and complex language will only detract from their power. Whether coming from a founder, communications-team member or agency representative, the ability to crystalize pitches into their simplest form is an absolute requirement for success.

The Important Distinction Between Content and Journalism

Last week, a story broke in The New York Times and other news outlets reporting that the Chicago Sun-Times and The Philadelphia Inquirer had published an AI-assisted, syndicated story that contained a substantial amount of fictitious information.

The story, which offered a summer reading list for 2025, included made-up book titles by known authors, the Times reported. This represents a black eye for both the outlets carrying the story and AI in general, which has been fighting the war on “hallucinations” ever since these tools hit the mainstream.

Beyond the facts of the story, however, sits a bigger conversation about the rapidly blurring distinction between marketing content and journalism. This could not be more critical as we move forward at warp speed into a world powered by AI, which promises to play a massive role in making content easier and faster to produce.

Here’s the challenge. As content becomes interchangeable with journalism, how can we know the news we consume is true, since that certainty stems from the professional rigor with which reporters, editors and producers vet stories, check facts, conduct interviews and seek to provide meaningful context?

Granted, the Sun-Times story was the result of reportedly sloppy journalism that let the content engine work unchecked. But this same type of content is already filling our X, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok feeds in a way that makes it difficult to distinguish from the work of bona fide journalists.

Savvy news consumers, of course, can tell the difference between a New York Times story and a post from a little-known entity. But what about posts once or twice removed that cite this “news?” How can we know its original source?

And what of the search engine or chatbot results that choose content over journalism in their results? Or aggregated news feeds that automatically combine the two?

This all points to a problem that will only grow worse before it improves, if it ever does, as we enter an era where our windows to the broader world are increasingly filled with words and images that may have little or no basis in fact.

The Subtle Power of Conference Organizers

The Wall Street Journal published a major story this week on the World Economic Forum’s founder, titled “The Unraveling of the King of Davos.” It represents the Journal’s latest reporting on arguably the world’s premier business conference.

I don’t have anything to add to the topic raised by the WSJ journalists, one way or the other. However, the story got me thinking about the subtle power that conference organizers have in framing the conversations that take place at their events. Conversations that can carry enormous influence.

Anyone who’s ever been interviewed by a journalist knows the power the reporter asking the questions has on the overall result. When you ask the questions, you get to frame the conversation. It’s that simple.

This framing takes place at conferences as well. It just happens largely behind the scenes, months before the events themselves begin. Let’s look at how.

Some conferences begin with an overarching theme, guiding all discussions at the event on a macro level. Imagine, for example, two fictional conference themes relevant to today: “The Power of AI to Improve Our Lives” vs. “The Dangers of AI in Modern Society.” Two very different sets of conversations would ensue.
Many conferences select the individual panel and keynote topics, then go out to pitch potential speakers. Those who take these slots, which in many cases represent coveted opportunities to reach important audiences, are free to say what they wish. But they need to do so within the framework of their topics.
Conveners of these events typically pick their speakers and moderators, giving them enormous sway over the conversations that follow. Organizers usually look to create provocative, engaging discussions involving headline names. It’s easy to gauge how these discussions will go by who will be speaking.

Am I saying that conference organizers are proactively seeking to influence public opinion by the way they assemble their events? No, I’m not. Most, I believe, are earnestly working to contribute to the marketplace of ideas in their respective fields.

I am, however, suggesting that the beliefs and biases of these conveners can – sometimes inadvertently – find their way into events by virtue of their power to set the agenda. This is a fact that every executive who speaks publicly, and those who advise them, should consider when deciding which invitations to accept and which events to pursue.

There are techniques speakers can use to get their messaging across regardless of the questions asked, but it is impossible to entirely escape being framed by the events’ overall themes and speaking topics.

Want a Read on the Current Environment? The Headlines and Stock Market Tell Very Different Stories

Early in my career as a reporter at Investor’s Business Daily, I was taught to turn to the stock market for signs of the economy’s direction and strength.

Our newspaper’s founder had made his fortune in stocks and implored us in our reporting to always look to the market, which in aggregate is constantly analyzing real-time data and other information. I’ve kept this approach top of mind over the years and seen its value, particularly when other sources were telling a different story.

This is happening now.

In recent weeks, I’ve been struck by the very different reads on the business environment we get when looking at news headlines vs. the market. The headlines tell something of a grim story, and have done so consistently for some time. The market, while volatile, has turned more hopeful.

Just look at the data. I asked my research team – ChatGPT and Grok – to provide a summary of news-coverage sentiment on stories about the U.S. economy and business environment over the past 4 weeks. The results were about what I expected.

“While pockets of strength, like job growth, provide some optimism, they are outweighed by negative indicators such as GDP contraction, declining consumer confidence, and trade policy concerns,” Grok tells us.

Meanwhile, as of yesterday’s close, the Dow Jones Industrial Average has risen about 9% from its trade-war trough in early April and the S&P 500 is up about 11%.

Now, clearly the market has been volatile during this period. But even that has eased. The VIX index, a widely followed measure of stock-market volatility, is back in the low 20s, down about 55% from early April. A substantial improvement.

I’m not saying we should take this information and adopt a stance of unbridled optimism. There remains much to sort out.

However, I do believe the stock market is seeing more positive signs than the news media are presenting. And when looking for context about the current environment – those of us in the communications business need be well attuned to this – I tend to be a bigger believer in the direction the market provides.

Want Your Writing to Pop? Focus on the Verbs

To be, or not to be? I’ll go with not.

With so much content screaming for attention today, writing in the most engaging possible way brings our only real hope of breaking through. The good news? We can all write with elegance and power far more easily than you might imagine. To start, we need to choose the right verbs.

This stems from a lesson I readily embraced as a young, graduate journalism student at Northwestern. On that day, an instructor asked us to eliminate all forms of the verb to be. He literally had us cut every instance of is, am, are, was, were out of our assignments. And I loved it.

You may think that nobody could write a piece of any length without using this most common verb. But you can, and should. At least as an exercise.

Why? It produces great writing habits. Instead of penning a lazy sentence like:

“This post was written without using the passive verb to be.”

You can offer the more active:

“I excised every instance of the passive verb to be from this post.”

And that summarizes the problem with to be. Using it makes your sentences passive, rather than vibrant and active and alive with strong verbs driving the story.

Try this. The next time you write an email, post or other bit of prose, try to eliminate all forms of to be as you write. Go back and check your work. If you’ve inadvertently slipped it in – careful … is, am, are, was and were have a way of to sneaking into your writing – rewrite those sentences to remove them.

Going forward, you don’t have to cut out every single use of to be from your prose. There may be times you want to use it. But limit them.

You will write powerful, more engaging copy. Every time.

Don’t Underestimate the Importance of Media Relations

In today’s content-focused, social-first, influencer-driven world, it would be easy to assume that media relations no longer holds much importance for companies and other public-facing organizations.

After all, the traditional media’s decline has been well-documented. There are fewer outlets to chase and fewer reporters to pitch.

This is, of course, 100% correct. And precisely the reason communications teams need the best media-relations talent they can assemble.

Think about it this way.

First, the exploding popularity of content marketing and social-media distribution has resulted in so much material from so many different sources that it’s become exceedingly difficult to break through. A well-placed piece in a key news outlet can stand out like nothing else.

Second, supply and demand. With fewer reporters and outlets producing stories, it’s harder to win placements. Media-relations skills are more important than ever. Reporters don’t cover you because they like you. They cover you because you present them with a solid, well-constructed, newsworthy story idea.

Finally, while big newspapers and broadcast news operations are under enormous pressure, new outlets are emerging. Many are serving tightly defined audiences though reimagined mechanisms, like newsletters. Pitching the right ones lets you target audiences with newfound precision.

Am I suggesting that we ignore changes in the media landscape and set aside content programs in lieu of earned-media placements? Of course, not. Social channels reach huge audiences, and owned content – done right – can be extremely powerful.

What I am suggesting is that it’s important to keep media relations in your toolbox. Make sure you’ve got the right skills in your organization to effectively identify and pursue these opportunities. You’ll be happy you did.

Uncertainty Shouldn’t Sideline Communications – There’s Work To Be Done

Uncertainty. These days, it surely ranks as the longest four-letter word in the English language.

I had the opportunity yesterday to attend an insightful mergers and acquisitions event hosted by my former colleagues at Weber Shandwick. We heard from a cross-section of veteran bankers, lawyers and M&A advisors during the two panels that were convened. Uncertainty came up again and again.

It was cited as the primary reason merger activity, among other things, has ground to a halt. And for good reason. Business leaders can’t pull the trigger on major initiatives without at least some window into what will happen tomorrow. Long-term investors typically don’t love uncertainty, either.

At moments like these, while we wait for mergers and other major initiatives to proceed, communicators can still make important progress for their organizations. I’d think about two areas, in particular.

Updated messaging. This is a perfect time to revisit and refresh core messaging around your company and its business lines. Almost certainly, the events of the past weeks – and the new realities that may follow – require some adjustments to messaging. Why not get that work done now and be ready when the window for action reopens?

Ongoing storytelling. Uncertainty has the insidious ability to create an information vacuum, which in true chicken-and-egg fashion feeds further uncertainty. So, it is critical to keep communicating as everyday business proceeds. The key is to do so authentically and be sensitive to the challenges customers and clients are facing.

The good news is this: Periods of uncertainty are just that. They eventually end. And once companies have regained the ability to forecast, longer-term initiatives will move forward again.

Until that time, there’s plenty of productive work to be done.

The Power of Authentic Communication in Uncertain Times

What a week. My chart of the Dow Industrials is a roller coaster unlike anything I’ve seen before, and keeping up with the news headlines has been enough to bring on a serious bout of PTSD. It’s been brutal, and scary, and challenging for just about everyone running a business.

Which raises an important question: How can you communicate with customers, clients, employees and others at a time like this?

The answer, of course, is not so simple. As is often the case in these situations, you want to reach out with some level of reassurance. Yet, the last thing we want to do is wade into the brutal morass of tariffs, inflation, recession and global politics.

Further, what reassurance is there to be given? Nobody knows what Monday will bring. And with such uncertainty, what messages can be delivered?

The truth is this. In such situations, it’s not so much what you say, but how you say it. People want to know that the organizations they entrust with critical goods and services are 1) paying attention and 2) care. So, staying silent is not a great option.

Instead, here’s a better way:

Reach out by acknowledging the challenging moment and reinforcing your core messages – the ideals of the company and your commitment to them.
Let them know you’re on the job, with both eyes on the ball. You are in it together and they are top of mind.
Be authentic in your communication. This is not the time for self-serving “thought leadership.” It’s time to be real, and personal, and speak plain truths.

This type of communication need not be long. Or polished. Or pretty. It just has to land. It can be an email, a social post or even a phone call.

In such situations, it’s easy to get so caught up in what we shouldn’t say, that we forget the power of authentic communication. It doesn’t take much to make a very big impact.