{"id":139992,"date":"2022-07-18T13:54:47","date_gmt":"2022-07-18T12:54:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/?p=139992"},"modified":"2022-08-09T17:10:36","modified_gmt":"2022-08-09T16:10:36","slug":"dont-talk-to-me-email-me-instead-how-to-work-with-gen-z-journalists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/blog\/dont-talk-to-me-email-me-instead-how-to-work-with-gen-z-journalists\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Don\u2019t talk to me! (email me instead)\u2019: How to work with Gen Z journalists"},"content":{"rendered":"

It is a frequent ask from writers to PRs: don\u2019t phone to pitch, don\u2019t call to follow up on an email you have just sent. Unsurprisingly, it is no different for up-and-coming Generation<\/a> Z journalists, the 25-year-olds (and younger) making their way in the media now. <\/strong><\/p>\n

That doesn\u2019t mean young journalists are unapproachable. In fact, the three Gen Z freelance writers on the panel of our Vuelio webinar \u2018What\u2019s Next? The new generation of journalists\u2019 love to work with PRs, fully appreciating what those in the comms sector can bring to their content. Provided it is not pitched in an \u2018awkward\u2019 way, of course\u2026<\/p>\n

Watch the full \u2018What\u2019s Next? The new generation of journalists\u2019 webinar<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Here are just some of the insights shared by freelancers Zesha Saleem<\/a>, Michele Theil<\/a> and Hannah Bradfield<\/a> on the internal workings of the modern media industry and how they like to work with comms pros.<\/p>\n

1) Gen Z journos LOVE working with PRs (these writers do, anyway)<\/h3>\n

Freelance journalist Zesha Saleem \u2013 who has racked up commissions from Metro<\/a>, British Vogue<\/a> and The Guardian<\/a> so far \u2013 considers PRs really helpful for her writing:<\/p>\n

\u2018PRs do such an amazing and important job. I used to reply to every PR who contacted me \u2013 I try to reply to as many as I can now, but now I tend to reply to the ones I can definitely work on.<\/p>\n

\u2018If I don\u2019t reply, assume that I don\u2019t have the capability to work on it. I don\u2019t work five days a week; I do limited shifts. Sometimes PRs will email three or four times in a day. Journalists are told not to pitch the same thing three or four times\u2026 That\u2019s just one thing I\u2019d say to keep in mind\u2026\u2019<\/p>\n

2) Young journalists see the common ground between PRs and journos<\/h3>\n

Michele Theil \u2013 currently under contract at the BBC and a freelancer for outlets including VICE<\/a> and The Independent<\/a> \u2013 understands just how similar job-related pressures are for both journalists and PRs:<\/p>\n

\u2018I try to respond as much as possible \u2013 a PR friend told me people that take the time to reply are their favourite journalists. From my perspective, when I\u2019m pitching to an editor, I hate not getting a response.<\/p>\n

3) Don\u2019t take it personally if you don\u2019t get a response<\/h3>\n

\u2018Sometimes there are so many emails and not enough time in the day,\u2019 added Michele.<\/p>\n

\u2018I understand that PRs have to chase, but give us some time. Sometimes I don\u2019t have the emotional energy to reply to things. I hope that no one ever takes it personally; I never ever mean it personally. It\u2019s nothing to do with you or the content; just right now, in the moment, it\u2019s not right for what I\u2019m working on.\u2019<\/p>\n

4) To DM, or to not DM?<\/h3>\n

\u2018I prefer emails to be honest,\u2019 said Zesha.<\/p>\n

\u2018I don\u2019t work all the time, so if it\u2019s a press release, I\u2019ll move it into a folder and get back to it later. My DMs are a mess, first of all. Things can get lost and sometimes I don\u2019t open them until months later. Sometimes it\u2019s something great that I can\u2019t really work on anymore \u2013 definitely send an email.\u2019<\/p>\n

Michele agrees: \u2018I mostly get contacted by email, which is great, especially when I\u2019ve put out a call or a request. Sometimes I get a DM, and I\u2019m not completely averse to that, but don\u2019t be annoyed if I don\u2019t reply to your DM. If I haven\u2019t responded in a few hours, drop me an email because I\u2019m more likely to see it there.\u2019<\/p>\n

5) Respect their work\/life dynamic<\/h3>\n

Hannah, a fellow freelance journalist alongside her duties as a Journo Resources<\/a> trainee prefers email for media outreach: \u2018It\u2019s just easier to regulate. With Twitter, the lines can be blurred a little.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018It offers a degree of separation,\u2019 agreed Michele, highlighting the importance of maintaining a healthy work\/life balance \u2013 hard for freelance journalists, and frequently an issue for PRs, too.<\/p>\n

\u2018I can choose when I respond with an email \u2013 it gives everyone agency. A lot of our work blurs into our personal life as freelancers \u2013 give me the choice to reply tomorrow.<\/p>\n

6) Media outreach: don\u2019t make it awkward<\/h3>\n

What makes email so useful for media outreach isn\u2019t just its convenience for journalists. It also skips any forced social interactions. Meeting up for coffee, offering to buy them a drink? Way too 90s\/early-00s an approach.<\/p>\n

\u2018Building long-term relationships with PRs is great,\u2019 said Michele. \u2018But I have this weird thing, when PRs offer to pay for everything. That\u2019s nice; that\u2019s lovely… but it makes me feel a bit awkward? It can be really awkward for people of our generation. \u201cLet me buy you a coffee\u201d. Like\u2026 why?\u2019<\/p>\n

And not to belabour the point, but before you pick up the phone to call them \u2013 rethink it.<\/p>\n

\u2018Gen Zs don\u2019t like phone calls \u2013 don\u2019t talk to me,\u2019 Michele joked.<\/p>\n

Just email to start the conversation when you\u2019re doing media outreach in future \u2013 it is less awkward for everyone.<\/p>\n

Watch the webinar here<\/a> for more from these three journalists and how they work with PRs, and check out more advice on pitching to different sections of the media in our white paper How to pitch to journalists<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Want requests from UK journalists straight through to your inbox? Book a demo of the ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It is a frequent ask from writers to PRs: don\u2019t phone to pitch, don\u2019t call to follow up on an email you have just sent. Unsurprisingly, it is no different for up-and-coming Generation Z journalists, …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":423,"featured_media":139994,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7365,7398,7272,3725,3729,7260],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/139992"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/423"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=139992"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/139992\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":140248,"href":"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/139992\/revisions\/140248"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/139994"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=139992"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=139992"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=139992"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}