Matthew McFarland, former Washington Post editor and CNN journalist — Press is not a prize for existing. Journalists hunt for stories. Founders pitch existence. In this interview, journalist Matt McFarland touches on three major ideas: how press actually works, why journalism’s trust problem is not a ratings footnote, and what companies should publish instead of another blast email.
McFarland edited The Washington Post’s innovation section, then covered tech and transportation at CNN Business. The stories journalists seek are interesting to readers and move people but the disconnect with founders and CMOs is vast.
At CNN McFarland took 20 to 30 pitches a day. The spray-and-pray offenders are obvious. Wrong first name. No name at all and most commonly irrelevant pitches that don’t align with journalist focus areas. At the end of his newsroom years he was doing almost no stories from inbound. He hunted.
Pitches are almost always slanted, serving the company. Great stories serve the reader.
The way to a journalist’s heart isn’t a more clever email, it’s your ability to tell your own story in public. A blog, Twitter, a podcast, YouTube. Then be reachable when a journalist needs your expertise. Accessibility is the pitch.
If you still send a pitch, keep the subject short and comprehensive. Fit the body on a notecard. Quality, not quantity. You should feel like you are handing them a gift their readers will actually want. If it feels like pleading, you’ve lost the plot.
For companies building in public, start stories that matter to real people, not your executives. Utilize photos, video, do YouTube Q&A. Conversation holds attention. Humans talked long before they read.
If money is tight, use the storyteller already on staff. Simplify. Sure, Ai can help with first drafts, but always keep a human as the bottle neck. Humans have strengths machines cannot match and never will.
Learn more about Matt McFarland and Land of the Freeway, his podcast on America’s relationship with cars.
The original show notes were lost. This summary was written by Ai and edited by a human.
