Chicago Tribune reporter and 2011 Terkel Award winner Antonio Olivo discusses how relationships are a key part of pitching to reporters.

Pitch Antonio at 312-222-4636 or email him at aolivo@tribune.com

Anna Tarkov, Blogger
Chicago Tribune Chicagoland Extra

If you think the dwindling media landscape is narrowing your agency’s options to connect with audiences about your stories, think again. As traditional news outlets have reduced their newsrooms and placed an emphasis online news platforms, journalists are revamping their efforts to deliver important and dynamic narratives to the public.

So, how are they doing it? Think freelancing. Anna Tarkov and Jessica Pupovic are two of many Chicago-area freelancers who are intent on covering stories and issues that matter. Both agree establishing relationships with freelancers, even out of work journalists, can pay off in the long run.

“Don’t discount journalists who are out of work, because they will eventually be working and that relationship will last and could be effective in the future,” says Tarkov.

Tarkov covers the Wilmette and Deerfield village meetings for the Chicago Tribune Chicagoland Extra section. As a blogger, she muses about political figures, such as Sarah Palin and other issues. Connecting with bloggers who are receptive to your cause provides a niche audience as well as longer shelf life for your story, she says.  However, she says establishing a relationship with select bloggers is vital and shows discernment.

“When you blast [a press release] it says a) you don’t read my blog, b) don’t know what I write about or what my interests are,” she says. “ And c) don’t care and that A and B are true.”

Jessica Pupovic, Freelance Writer

Finding the best home for your story means a bit of homework is involved. For Pupovic, it always helps if there’s a timely hook or a project that is about to come to fruition. She says it can hinder her ability to take a story if the pitch is sent out before or on the same day.  Freelancers, who tend to give more in-depth coverage to an issue, should be pitched a week or so ahead so a plan of action can be developed, says Pupovic.

Pupovic, who writes for Mindful Metropolis, In These Times and The Crime Report, advices against discounting smaller publications because “they really are read by people in the industry who might have an larger audience” and “news does trickle up.”

“[Freelancers] get it out there and I promise you that I’ve had dozens of stories I’ve written that later have I’ve found in the Tribune or the Sun-Times,” says Pupovic. “The bigger publications are also out there monitoring… between the bloggers picking it up and the editors.”

Pupovic and Tarkov welcome pitches via email. You can check out Tarkov’s work at http://annatarkov.posterous.com, follow her on twitter at http://twitter.com/AnnaTarkov or email her at tooter2@gmail.com. Pupovic can be reached at jessicapup@gmail.com and her on her google page.

Photo by Alex Garcia, Chicago Tribune

Alex Garcia is an award-winning photojournalist covering real life in the Chicago area and other parts of the world for the Chicago Tribune since 1999. Before coming to Chicago, he worked at the Los Angeles Times and the Long Beach Press-Telegram. He can be reached via email at agarcia@tribune.com.

I used to work for a Ralph Nader organization in Washington D.C., and I remember sitting at the fax machine, wondering what it was going to take to get seemingly out-of-touch reporters to see the story that was screaming to be told.

I remember thinking that if I ever became a journalist, I would help people who needed a particular issue/cause to be fairly represented at whatever newspaper I’m working.

What are some of the things I’ve learned during the past thirteen years on the other end of the fax machine? Read the rest of this entry »

Photo by jochemberends on Flickr.com

After several months of relative calm in the Chicago media landscape (with thankfully few layoffs), activity has picked up significantly in the last few weeks, with lots of announcements, many of which strike us as very promising developments for the future of news coverage in Chicago.  Several of the announcements involve the creation of actual new outlets altogether, staffed at least in part with former daily newspaper folk.  Below we will try to cover all the changes that have occurred:

First off, the Sun-Times has gotten a new owner/savior in Mesirow Financial’s Jim Tyree.  He and his investor group seem willing to pour resources into the long-starved daily.  Here’s hoping that they succeed. Read the rest of this entry »

Melissa Harris is the Chicago Tribune's newest business columnist

Melissa is reachable—but before you contact her, check the specifics about what she needs for her Tribune biz section column that debuted in September.

“Call me on the phone or send me email—I do read all of my email,” she says. “My cell phone number is on my voicemail…. I’m available.” She’s also invite-able: “I go to events morning, noon, and night—although I’m not very good at breakfasts”—when she’s at the gym (needless to the say, we think the gym is a no-pitch zone, we didn’t ask where she works out).

She welcomes nonprofit and philanthropy pitches but, be aware that her audience is business decision-makers. “The way this is going to survive is big, bold prominent names,” she says. Think board members, honorees, grant awards.  Metropolitan Planning Council and other local organizations have already received some coverage in Chicago Confidential, BTW.

The column goes deeper than boldface names, because Melissa is really looking to offer items about Chicago business people and how deals get done. Double bonus if you have a humorous anecdote or item. One more thing to keep in mind: Melissa comes from covering crime (in Baltimore) and before that politics (in Orlando, Fla.) – no fluff here.

Her column runs Sundays and Wednesdays. More details at the Tribune Web site. (Her contact info  is in the 2010 guide or find it in the 2010 Getting On Air, Online & Into Print resource forum–registration required).