By Annmarie Ely
Since his time as a journalism student, Bob Violino has been interested in the rapid evolution of technology and its impact on business. Today, he’s both a freelance business and technology journalist, and the author of a new book, “Life Lessons,” which chronicles his own story and the lessons he’s learned from overcoming his own life challenges.
Over the course of his career, Bob’s freelance writing clients have included some of the biggest and most well-known technology companies, such as Microsoft, IBM, and PwC, as well as news organizations like CNBC, Forbes, Fortune, Tech Target, Business Insider, and more.
We recently chatted with Bob to get his insights on journalism, as well as a look at his new book. Here are the technology trends he’s following, an overview of his new book, and some of the favorite stories he has covered!
Tell me a little about yourself and your career journey in journalism. What made you want to get into the field?
I’ve always enjoyed writing, and like many journalism majors from the late 1970s, I was inspired by the investigative reporting done by The Washington Post. Getting hired by city newspapers proved difficult, and I took a job working for a magazine that covered what was then considered “state of the art” office tech: computer-output microfilm and word processors. Soon after, the PC and many other IT innovations were introduced, and everything changed. I had the good fortune to be covering a fast-growing market at the dawn of the information age. I’ve been covering tech and business ever since.
Tell me about your book. What’s one thing you hope readers learn or take away from reading your new book?
My book, Life Lessons, is an inspirational memoir that conveys many of the lessons I’ve learned in my life, in many cases through adversity such as life-threatening health scares. In contrast to the writing I’ve been doing throughout my career, this is my own story. It’s filled with heartfelt anecdotes as well as verified research aimed at bringing my lessons to life for readers. My hope is that it’s helpful for anyone looking for guidance and hope, and that it serves as a useful motivational tool for organizations. I’m thrilled at the response I have received from readers so far.
What issues or trends are you following that you’re interested in covering?
Of course, everything related to AI is hot right now, and a lot of it is fascinating to watch. That includes the ongoing maturation of generative AI to go beyond chatbots into performing more independent tasks, and the rise of agentic AI systems that can act autonomously to accomplish tasks. Otherwise stories on cloud-related topics and cybersecurity always seem to be in demand.
What is the best way for tech PR people to work with you? What types of pitches are useful for your work?
I still prefer email as the best way to get hold of me for pitches. I’m most interested in pitches that include customer contacts, rather than just product or services information and sources. I’m far more likely to be intrigued by a good user story.
What do you look for when determining a topic for a story?
I typically write about topics that my editors would like me to cover at any given time, but I also try to find new and interesting ways organizations and individuals can use technology tools. I read a lot to see what the latest trends are and I research how organizations can be more efficient and make life easier for their customers.
What have been some of your favorite stories you’ve worked on?
There have been so many that I’ve enjoyed. One that comes to mind is when I worked at InformationWeek years ago. I wrote a comprehensive article evaluating all of the major IT research firms. It was fun to work on because we were effectively “analyzing the analysts,” and so many organizations rely heavily on those firms for success with technology. I also always enjoy writing articles about people and how technology has had an impact on their lives.
To learn more about Bob’s book and get your copy, please visit: https://inspirations-blog.com/life-lessons/
By Annmarie Ely
As U.S. editor-sector coverage for Mergermarket, Marlene Givant Star covers a variety of topics from mergers and acquisitions to funding. She has more than 30 years of experience in business journalism and has worked for The Associated Press, where she was a news editor-Money & Markets, Boardroom’s Bottom Line/Personal and Crain Communications’ Pensions & Investments and Investment News.
In her current role as an editor at Mergermarket, she directs the U.S. sector reporting freelance team and writes and edits stories about education and business services companies. 0to5 worked with Marlene on a story highlighting our client, SchoolStatus, an education technology company. At the time, SchoolStatus had gone through a series of acquisitions. Marlene spoke with the CEO and wrote a piece on the company’s M&A activity and its future direction after the newly acquired companies were folded into SchoolStatus.
0to5 recently connected with Marlene about her career, recent articles she’s written, and her insights on what makes a business story engaging for readers. Read our Q&A with Marlene below to learn more.
What do you like about covering business news?
It’s very concrete and relevant. You always learn something new and it is surprisingly applicable to daily life.
What types of stories/subjects do you look for when you’re planning coverage?
At Mergermarket, we cover corporate strategy including M&A, capital raises, and other expansion strategies. We also cover news as it breaks.
Do you have any favorite stories from what you’ve covered?
I especially like taking a step back and looking at trends using our data. For example, I recently wrote a story about franchise businesses receiving heightened interest from private equity firms. I also edited our International Women’s Day feature highlighting women in the male-dominated M&A industry.
What should people keep in mind when reaching out? Are there any types of stories or content you’d like to receive more of?
I like to hear about mature companies past the Series B stage, particularly ones focused on education or business services. I am also interested in environmental, social, and governance topics.
As the media landscape continues to change, it’s important for PR pros to keep in touch with reporters and editors beyond pitching stories. Since the start of your PR career, you have likely heard about the importance of building relationships with journalists, and it is true. Your relationships with journalists are important —and should be treated as such.
Diane Harrington, Editor at Smartbrief, is a veteran communications pro and has seen it all—including the good, the bad, and the ugly. Our team had the chance to catch up with Diane to ask her the questions that keep PR pros up at night. We’re excited to have her share her knowledge and insights!
Can you share examples of successful collaborations or interactions you’ve had with PR reps?
I love PR reps who have a client list and ideas connected to each that they can share with me.
I’m also especially grateful when PR folks have “regular people” I can talk to—not just an edtech vendor or a random customer who happens to use your client’s product. More often than not, journalists want inputs on issues, solutions, and stories.
Writing about a new product on its own isn’t enough. Give me great, fresh story ideas and all the players I need to talk to, and I’ll be your friend for life.
I’ve also had a couple of PR reps be extraordinarily patient with me as I try to find time to work on a couple of articles. They occasionally ping me (no more than quarterly) to see if it’s still on my radar and they let me know if something new has happened in the topic area or with their client that may shape my piece.
Savvy PR reps also will pass along random info: “Hey, I hear you’re planning something on student mental health. I ran across the name of a great school psychologist—just wanted to share it in case they can help with your story.” That keeps your name in my mind. And when I tell people I’ll put something in my ideas and experts folders, I’m telling the truth: I really do have folders with those titles filled with emails that I like but that won’t work right now.
What are some common misconceptions reporters might have about working with PR folks?
I’ve been in the journalism/PR/marketing field for 40+ years. While I’m so grateful to run across savvy PR reps, too often I get a spam-style press release on a subject that’s far too general. It’s clear that it’s gone to 1,000 other journalists and that no thought has been put into how it will work for my publication.
Not all publications are alike, and many PR reps think, “Oh, let’s send this to all the education publications.” Read the reporters’ work for a while and figure out what makes them different, and tailor a pitch accordingly. If you know I don’t run press releases or articles on a product, take the time to create another formulaic press release that at least addresses that fact.
How can PR professionals best tailor their communications to meet the needs of reporters?
Give specific examples of how a product or solution can be used. Broaden your mind to narrow the story. Provide examples that haven’t been used everywhere else. That may be the secret to your success.
Are there any specific elements or information that you consider essential in a press release or pitch?
Like a good newspaper story: Who, what, when, where, why and how. But focus on which one of those is the most important to a given publication. Most PR reps know that my publication doesn’t print “new product” stories, new CEO stories, or events that are happening tomorrow in another state. If it’s in my city, or very nearby, that’s helpful. Otherwise, I need to be sent the information in a way that works for my publication. Or sent “In case you weren’t aware” for my files. Regardless, 99% of PR people send me the stuff I don’t need and can’t use.
What are some best practices for PR professionals to build positive relationships with reporters of any beat?
Don’t email incessantly. 95% of editors won’t respond to every email. If you don’t hear back, 99% of the time they’re not interested. Please do not email the reporter every day or two to follow up.
Try to convince your clients that it’s better to have sustained interest in them throughout the year—a story in this publication now, a story in another publication 3 months later, and so on. Rather than to have them all crammed into one or two months and then forgotten. The debut of a product doesn’t equate to a story. Think about the stories that you’d want to read about that product six months from now. Set up those circumstances: Ask the client if they can do a trial of it at a school so you can gather anecdotal information. Find out if they have already done one or have studies, etc.
By Annmarie Ely
Working with trade outlets is a valuable way to reach leaders in an industry with targeted, thoughtful content. The retail industry, in particular, is constantly changing and it’s important for the industry’s business leaders to have content that puts a microscope on what’s happening every day.
We recently interviewed Dominick Miserandino, the new CEO of RetailWire, a leading retail trade publication covering the latest trends and insights in the industry. As CEO of a publication, Dominick offers a unique perspective on how PR professionals can work with media outlets.
Thank you to Dominick for taking the time to conduct this interview! You can explore RetailWire’s coverage of industry insights and trends here: https://retailwire.com/
Would you please briefly introduce yourself and your career background?
I started as the creator of TheCelebrityCafe.com, one of the first online pubs, and then Inquisitr, Adoramapix, and YouNow. I’ve probably worked on over 100+ e-commerce and media sites as an advisor.
What motivated you to join RetailWire as the new CEO?
The retail space, and this B2B market in particular, is rather unique and presents a new set of skills to learn and challenges to overcome. Before this role, more of my background was in B2C.
What are some of your goals or priorities as the new CEO of RetailWire?
Step one is to immerse myself in this world. Learn the players and partners.
What are some trends or topics within retail that you are interested in seeing RetailWire cover in 2024?
We are editorially trying to expand our in-depth coverage, as well as our general consumer audience coverage. I’m happy that our readership has gone up about sixfold since we started on this in fall 2023.
Can you share examples of successful collaborations or interactions you’ve had with PR reps?
Not as of yet with RetailWire, but I’m looking forward to it. In the past, the most successful stories were ones that were unique. Years ago, I had a writer doing a video inside the Krispy Kreme headquarters, interviews with Led Zeppelin, and behind-the-scenes at the White House. Those that worked well were quite a bit more than a press release, and thereby other outlets grabbed them too.
What communication strategies do you find most effective when working with PR professionals, such as pitches (length), press releases, research, etc.?
Straight to the point. I actually remember the dialogue with the Krispy Kreme one:
“Do you want to send a writer behind the scenes of Krispy Kreme?” Yes.
It’s so much better than most press pitches, which are guesswork:
“We have an amazing brand that would like to do something with you.”
Ok, what brand, what would they like to do? Are you just asking the writer to copy your press release?
How can PR professionals best tailor their communications to meet the needs of retail-focused outlets?
For retail, as well as any media outlet, know the outlet itself.
Are there any specific elements or information that you consider essential in a press release or pitch related to retail?
I think so much is just knowing the outlet and cutting to it.
I’ve had days of literally 200+ emails from publicists and I don’t want to guess what the goal is and who the client is.
How can PR professionals most effectively pitch stories and information to RetailWire?
Right now we have two fronts: trending general business news and the real in-depth pieces. Understanding these two fronts is the first step. If you have something in-depth, unique, or trending on Google News to share, we love it.
If they don’t, most pitches come across as: “I know you’re covering trending topics, but this will be trending.”
But then it’s not a fit for the moment. Fitting a square peg in a round hole is just going to break the peg.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers about the dynamics of working with PR professionals?
I’ve been an advisor/shareholder of well over 100 publications and find the best pitches are direct and simple.