Media Contacts Update: Forbes Writers for Social Security Experts

After a recent members-only Editorial Meeting, we heard from a member who is a specialist in the hidden benefits of Social Security and how to best use this retirement tool. We have begun updating a few Media Outlets. Some wrtiers have remained at their publications for years being rewarded with promotions, while others have moved on to different publications and have expanded their coverage.

Media Moves:

Donna LaValley: Donna remains at Kiplinger and writes about a variety of financial interest, including Social Security.

Donna Fuscaldo: Donna remains at Kiplinger and also writes for AARP’s Now Mobile App. She also enjoys writing about Social Security changes and other personal finance tools.

AJ Argawal: A serial entrepreneur and past contributing writer for Forbes, AJ founded Verma Farms, a CBD company. He is interested in Health and Wellness, as well as benefits of sleep.

Ashlea Ebeling: Ashlea is a personal finance reporter at The Wall Street Journal, writing about the great wealth transfer, death and taxes. She joined the company in 2022.

Ann Abel: Ann Abel has been an award-winning travel writer and editor for more than 20 years and has been a Forbes contributor since 2008. She knows the difference between expensive travel and true luxury, and she has a particular focus on small hotels, game-changing hospitality, destination dining and sustainability.

Alex Morrell: Alex Morrell is a senior correspondent at Business Insider covering Wall Street at large. Prior to Insider he was a staff reporter at Forbes Magazine covering billionaires and their businesses. He's previously written and worked for the Associated Press, the Green Bay Press-Gazette, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism.

How To Pitch This Media:

Contacts is one thing. Timeliness is another. You can have someone’s email. And even an open invitation to their front porch for an early evening drink. But your story idea must be timely to their audience to be considered.

As you peruse Tin Shingle’s Media Contact Idea Center, collect the journalists who appeal to you, and keep them in mind as you think up story ideas tailored to them.

Need Help Pitching The Media?

Join Tin Shingle and come to the Editorial Meetings to test your ideas in a small-group setting. Use Tin Shingle’s Pitch Whisperer Forum Thread to copy and paste your media pitch to get feedback from Tin Shingle’s owner and reporter, Katie Hellmuth. Hire Tin Shingle to write your pitches for you. We connect with media friends in our network to write a pitch you can send to your intended media contact.

Updated Media Outlets and Contacts: December 2023

Being an education and empowerment platform for businesses, artists & makers, Tin Shingle is committed to sharing the voices of those who should be heard. If you follow us on Instagram, you have seen our recent posts dedicated to sharing media coverage out of Gaza in Israel. Today we share media outlets with a global eye on current events.

The Emmy and Peabody award winning GPS with Fareed Zakaria has aired on CNN since 2008. The Global Public Square helps you make sense of the world, with insights from Zakaria. He’s a regular CNN correspondent, a columnist for The Washington Post, and best-selling author.

Fareed’s Global Briefing, a daily digital newsletter, is one of the most widely read of CNN's newsletters around the world. His column for The Washington Post remains one of the longest-running for that newspaper. 

Host of Velshi and MSNBC Chief Correspondent, Ali Velshi is a trusted and influential voice in the media industry, with three decades of experience in covering and analyzing major political, economic, and social issues. He brings his expertise and passion for journalism to his weekend show, where he engages with diverse guests and perspectives, and provides in-depth and nuanced reporting on the stories that matter.

Ali Velshi has a global and multifaceted background, having been born in Kenya, raised in Toronto, and worked in various media outlets, including Al Jazeera America, CNN, and NBC News. He is driven by his commitment to inform, educate, and empower his audience, and to uphold the highest standards of journalistic excellence and integrity.

Tin Shingle Members will find contacts listed who are producers for both shows.

New Media Contacts Added

Lorraine Ali: Television Critic, The Los Angeles Times
From LinkedIn: Lorraine Ali is a television critic and media columnist with the Los Angeles Times. Ali joined the Times in 2011 as music editor and later served as TV editor for both print and digital platforms. Ali was Newsweek's music critic and then a senior culture writer from 2000 to 2010. Prior to Newsweek she was a senior critic with Rolling Stone and a Mademoiselle columnist. Her byline has appeared in a diverse roster of publications and digital platforms including The New York Times, GQ, The Hollywood Reporter and SPIN.

Aish Menon: Segment Producer, MSNBC Morning Joe
From LinkedIn: I've been a news producer for two years at stations in the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania market. I love being able to showcase and tell stories in a way that is captivating to audiences, while also providing them with the most important and necessary information. I love writing and working in a fast-paced environment, which is why I feel the news industry is perfect for me.

Dena Takruri: Senior Presenter/Producer, Al Jazeera
From LinkedIn: Dena Takruri is an award-winning journalist who is recognized for her bold and immersive reporting around the world, characterized by speaking truth to power and giving voice to those unheard. As Senior Presenter at AJ+, she hosts the docuseries "Direct From with Dena Takruri," which explores injustices, conflict, and turmoil impacting our world. Her show has been honored with a prestigious Peabody Award and two national Edward R. Murrow Awards. Dena is also the coauthor of "They Called Me A Lioness: A Palestinian Girl's Fight For Freedom," written with Palestinian activist written with Palestinian activist Ahed Tamimi.

Get Ideas

Need ideas of why to pitch these media outlets? If you are a member of Tin Shingle, start a conversation in Tin Shingle's Pitch Whisperer. Or tune in on Wednesdays to our members-only group consulting session, Pitch Whisperer TuneUp.

You can also get private, one-on-one help through Private Training.

Updated Media Outlets and Contacts: Back In The New York Groove

Inspired by The Kelly Clarkson Show relocating to New York City, our latest edition of Updated Media Outlets and contacts are based in The Red Apple.

For Season 5, The Kelly Clarkson Show has moved cross country from Los Angeles to New York setting up digs at Rockefeller Center, the home base for NBC. Universal. Clarkson recently shared on The Today Show she wanted to move back to the East Coast to be closer to her family and that even after 20 years, Los Angeles never quite felt like home.

Focusing on daytime talk, interviews, celebrity, and gossip; singer Kelly Clarkson offers heartwarming stories, live musical performances, games, and surprises.

WNBC’s New York Live Show is a daily lifestyle show giving viewers the best in all things New York such as food, fashion, beauty & lifestyle, Broadway, and local spotlights. Airs daily Monday through Friday at 11:30 am EST.

Tin Shingle Members will find contacts listed who are producers for the show.

Get Ideas

Need ideas of why to pitch these media outlets? If you are a member of Tin Shingle, start a conversation in Tin Shingle's Pitch Whisperer. Or tune in on Wednesdays to our members-only group consulting session, Pitch Whisperer TuneUp.

You can also get private, one-on-one help through Private Training.

Updated Media Outlets and Contacts

After 148 days, the Writer’s Guild of America (WGA) reached an agreement on September 26, 2023. Daytime and late-night talk show writers are getting back to work! And we at Tin Shingle are back with more Media Library updates to keep under your radar.

Breaking entertainment news, the latest celebrity gossip and pictures, E! News is your source for entertainment news, celebrities and pop culture.

E! is an American basic cable channel which primarily focuses on pop culture, celebrity focused reality shows, and movies, owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast.

The Miami Herald is an American daily newspaper owned by The McClatchy Company and headquartered in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Founded in 1903, it is the fifth largest newspaper in Florida, serving Miami-Dade, Broward, and Monroe counties. It once circulated throughout all of Florida, Latin America and the Caribbean.

Tin Shingle Members will find contacts listed who are producers for the show.

New Media Contacts Added

Education

Katia Parks: Education Reporter for The Baltimore Sun
From LinkedIn: KATIA PARKS is an Education Reporter for The Baltimore Sun. She graduated cum laude at Morgan State University with a B.S. in Multimedia Journalism, and have received a Keystone Media Award for their stories as a Public Safety Reporter at the York Daily Record.
She has experience reporting education, crime, public safety, press conferences, court trials, feature stories, and investigative reporting.

Get Ideas

Need ideas of why to pitch these media outlets? If you are a member of Tin Shingle, start a conversation in Tin Shingle's Pitch Whisperer. Or tune in on Wednesdays to our members-only group consulting session, Pitch Whisperer TuneUp.

You can also get private, one-on-one help through Private Training.

WGA Strike Pauses Some Daytime Talk Shows After Backlash

The ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes are causing television programs, expecting to season premiere this month, to take a side on the picket line. First it was The Drew Barrymore Show, who initially announced they would start production without striking writers.

It did not take long for the backlash to come, including Barrymore being dropped as the host of the upcoming National Book Foundation awards. While she initially defended her position while issuing an apology, she backtracked a couple days later and announced on her Instagram that she is pausing the show.

The pushback from the unemployed writers and their supporters proclaiming that hosts should not be on television while their writers are on strike has struck a deep nerve and now shows such as The Kelly Clarkson Show, The Talk, and The Jennifer Hudson Show are following suit to avoid the PR nightmare. All of these shows were expected to return on September 18th. Now their expected return air dates are TBA.

Not all daytime talk shows are delaying their production. Programs such as Tamron Hall and Sherri, have returned on-air with no backlash or picket lines outside their studios, why? Neither show employs WGA writers. Most talk show hosts fall under SAG-AFTRA but under the Network Television Code contract which allows them to still appear on television while those under the Television/Streaming/Theatrical contracts cannot.

Timeline Of Elon Musk's Twitter Takeover From 2022 - Tracking The Weird And Wonky

Elon Musk became the owner and CEO of Twitter on October 27, 2022, after acquiring the social media company for $44 billion. Before the deal was sealed, 19,000 tweets showed his long time complications with Twitter.

Below is a timeline of events and the changes implemented under Musk’s leadership.

December 20, 2022

Musk announces he will step down as CEO once he finds a replacement

December 14, 2022

Musk suspends the Twitter account that tracked his private jet and introduces a new policy prohibiting posting someone’s real-time location details. Newsletter platform Revue shut down.

December 12, 2022

Twitter relaunches Blue Verified.

December 9, 2022

Musk announces plans to free up inactive accounts

December 8, 2022

Musk promotes the release of part two of the “Twitter Files.”

December 2, 2022

Musk promotes the release of the “Twitter Files.”

November 25, 2022

Musk mentions creating his own phone if Apple and Google remove Twitter from their app stores.

November 24, 2022

Musk announces ‘amnesty’ for suspended Twitter accounts begins next week.

November 19, 2022

Musk reinstates Trump’s Twitter account.

November 18, 2022

The deadline for Twitter employees to accept Musk’s ultimatum passes; many decide to leave.

Musk publishes a poll on Twitter asking whether he should reinstate the account of Donald Trump.

November 17, 2022

A majority of Twitter employees reportedly reject Musk’s ultimatum, opting to leave the company.

November 16, 2022

Musk issues an ultimatum to Twitter staff, asking them to commit to “hardcore” working conditions with longer hours and no remote work or get leave the company with three months severence pay.

November 15, 2022

Musk fires employees for criticizing him in a private Slack channel.

November 14, 2022

Musk turns off “bloatware” services which he claims isn’t necessary for the site to work

November 12, 2022

Under Musk’s leadership, Twitter fires an estimated 80% of contract employees without no advance notice.

November 11, 2022

Musk pauses Twitter Blue subscriptions due to fake accounts impersonating brands and public figures.

November 10, 2022

Musk warns about a dire money situation and believes Twitter could go bankrupt.

November 9, 2022

Twitter launches a new verification system, with all users receiving a blue checkmark by purchasing Twitter Blue.

November 4, 2022

Musk lays off half of Twitter employees to cut costs

November 1, 2022

After facing criticism from Stephen King after Musk confirms plans to charge $20/month for verification, Musk has a counteroffer.

October 30, 2022

Musk reveals plans to revise verification system

October 27, 2022

Musk and Twitter close the deal, making Musk the new owner. Musk immediately fires CEO and top executives.

October 26, 2022

Musk tweets a video of him carrying a kitchen sink into Twitter headquarters - referring to the “let that sink in” internet meme as he changes his Twitter bio to “Chief Twit”

October 20, 2022

Musk told investors he plans to cut nearly 75% of Twitter’s staff.

October 4, 2022

Musk proposes to seal the $44 billion ($54.20 per share) deal to own Twitter on the condition that Twitter drops its lawsuit.

August 6, 2022

Musk challenges former Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal to a ‘public debate’ about the Twitter bot percentage

July 12, 2022

Unable to come to an agreement, Twitter formally launches a lawsuit against Musk after he tried to back out of the acquisition.

July 8, 2022

Musk announces his plan to terminate the Twitter acquisition, claiming that Twitter still refuses to comply with requests for data on spam accounts.

Twitter’s chairman, Bret Taylor, says that the board plans legal action to enforce the agreement.

June 8, 2022

Twitter’s board complies with Musk’s demands to access data stream of tweets.

This was first reported by The Washington Post.

June 6, 2022

Musk says Twitter is refusing to share data on spam accounts and threatens to terminate his agreement.

May 13, 2022

Musk puts the buyout deal on hold after he learned that 5% of Twitter’s users are spam accounts.

April 25, 2022

A filing with the United States Security and Exchange Commission accepts Musk’s buyout deal

April 14, 2022

Musk offers to buy Twitter for $43 billion, or $54.20 per share, to transform it as “private”

April 10, 2022

Twitter’s chief executive, Parag Agrawal, said on Monday morning that Musk had declined the offer to join Twitter’s Board of Directors

April 4, 2022

A securities filing reveals Musk is Twitter’s largest shareholder, with a 9% stake in the company.

Musk is invited to join Twitter’s board of directors.

March 25, 2022

Musk begins openly criticizing Twitter with the principle of free speech - an “essential to a functioning democracy.”

Trending News Stories: Jacinda Ardern, Alec Baldwin, 50th Anniversary of Reproductive Rights

When you're pitching the media, you need to have fresh ideas. One pitch email to 10 media contacts will not do. You need to keep pitching different angles. This is what PR professionals do, and this is what you must do too, dear Business Owner (or Communications Director, Marketing Director, or Intern tasked with this large task of getting organic (free) media coverage for your business).

One way is to piggy back on trending news stories. This is when a big announcement or development comes out, and your product or expertise may have just the thing to say about it.

Let the following stories inspire you. Then come into Tin Shingle's Pitch Whisperer to discuss how you're going to pitch it. Hold yourself accountable, and do it!

If you feel you're too late - ignore that voice. Your possible news story can keep the topic talking.

Trending News Stories Right Now

The 50th Anniversary of Reproductive Rights
Many news outlets picked this up and reported on this date. According to ACLU: "January 22nd marks the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court case that codified the right to an abortion. But this year on January 22nd, we’ll largely remember this anniversary as the one that wasn’t. For 49 years, Roe helped to allow people who could become pregnant decide what was best for them and their families, but on June 24th, 2022, the Supreme Court overturned Roe in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health. Since then, bans on abortion have taken effect in 13 states, and courts have blocked abortion bans in 9 others, according to the New York Times abortion ban tracker, though this is constantly changing."
How To Pitch:
Don't limit yourself here. Many businesses, creators, artists and other professionals have relevant stories to tell here. What's your angle?

• Authors: What part of your book touched on abortion? Was your book set in a time when abortions were illegal? Clip a quote from your book, find your angle, and email that to the media outlet you are targeting.

• Businesses: Perhaps you have a personal story to share. Very difficult to do for you, so only do this if you feel strongly.

• Organizers: Have you been working on projects that are collecting experiences from people? Share snippets of these stories to the reporter or producer you think is a good fit.

Alec Baldwin To Be Charged With Involuntary Manslaughter in ‘Rust’ Killing
While filming the movie "Rust," the gun Alec was holding and aiming at the cinematographer, went off. A loaded bullet was inside, and killed her. Interestingly, The New York Times carefully phrased it this way: "A gun that Mr. Baldwin was rehearsing with went off, killing the film’s cinematographer." The person responsible for weapons on set, known as the "armorer" also faces manslaughter charges.
How To Pitch:

• Authors: Are you a crime writer? How would you have written this? The author Mark Bello was on this right away, and published a newsletter about it. Mark is also a member of Tin Shingle. He made a great move by publishing his own article.

• Experts: Are you a legal expert in this arena?

• Organizers: Are you a union leader who advocates for workplace safety?

• Film Production: This movie is still going to complete. Should it?

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern Announces Resignation
We watched her lead the world in her response to COVID. She's announced her resignation, citing many reasons including her new child, her desire to get married to her man, and admitting she "did not have enough in the tank to do [the job] justice," (read the transcript here). When the BBC covered it, they asked/headlined "Can women have it all?" In response, the MSNBC host Ayman Mohyeldin slammed the BBC, saying: "What an absolutely shameful headline by the BBC. When men politicians resign, does the BBC question or imply that somehow they fell short in 'having it all'. This is but one mere example of the reductive and frankly sexist headlines PM Ardern faced during her tenure."

What do you think? Write an article on it on your own company blog, and use that to pitch out to the media as you show your expertise.

Use Tin Shingle’s Pitch Whisperer To Help You

Tin Shingle’s community is here to support you. Pitching the media is often done in a vacuum. All by yourself. The Pitch Whisperer Forum allows you to have feedback, possibly tweak your pitch, and keep pitching.

Activate your membership with Tin Shingle today.

CNN Layoffs Begin - Hitting Contributing - Who Are Not Full Time Employees But Contractors With Sometimes 6-Figure Contracts

As first reported by AdWeek, the anticipated layoffs happening at CNN are in motion. According to TVNewser, a memo was sent to staff sent on Wednesday. It is reported that CNN chairman and CEO Chris Licht wrote that the layoffs have now started. “He said the layoffs would initially focus on its paid contributors’ staff and then shift to full-time CNN staff on Thursday.

According to the AdWeek article,  Axios reported: “A source familiar with the cuts said that “a couple hundred” people in total will be impacted.”

Adweek reported that Licht said “impacted employees will learn more through an in-person meeting or via Zoom, depending on the employee’s location and receive information about notice period or any severance that would apply. All employees who are bonus eligible will still receive their 2022 bonuses, Licht said.” (The Hill)

Ugh. Terrible feeling, but perhaps better that the Twitter layoffs led by Elon Musk that came by algorithm.

Adweek noted that “contributors are not employees but are under contract to serve as talking heads or experts appearing exclusively on the network.” Adweek backed that with reporting from LA Times and Company Town “Most are kept on an annual retainer and are paid in the low six figures. Bigger names earn as much as $500,000 a year.“

Wishing everyone well who either lost a job or a contract.

Sunday Morning Read: Partnership Wisdom From Odell Beckham Jr. and Ajay Sangha, In Entrepreneur Magazine

When Entrepreneur magazine came in the mail this time and landed on the bench in the front hall, I felt compelled to read it. Compelled, like, drawn to. Like there was an article in there that was speaking from behind the cover that whisper-yelled: “Reeeead meeee”.

So I picked it up for my Sunday magazine read, and started with the cover story for Odell Beckham Jr. Not knowing who he is. The article promised a story on “the art of the perfect partnership.” That’s something I’ve been thinking a lot about, so I started there.

Wow. What a mind-cycle-breaker to read about how he and his partner and best friend, Ajay Sangha, came to be business partners. And how Ajay grew in the relationship, balanced by Odell.

Takeaways From The Business Partnership

The journalist and magazine’s Editor In Chief, Jason Feifer, pulled out a few secret ingredients to what has been making this business partnership work, that started in friendship. Here are a few:

- Fear: Ajay was afraid of failing Odell, from it seems like, the very beginning. It’s a fear that stays with him through the many investments they have done together. But Ajay is able to harness that fear, and let it fuel him. However, it is with Odell’s outlook on life that makes balancing this fear possible. Said Ajay after their latest large investment: “I mean, it’s not my money. It’s a lot of money, right? It’s a lot of fucking money. And it’s a venture investment. It could go down the drain. I didn’t sleep for a month and a half.”

On the other hand, Odell’s approach is this: “I’m okay with taking the risk in hopes that it pays off. And if it didn’t, I was going to beat him up and then we’d move on to the next one.”

- Burned For Kindness Being Weakness: When Odell, an NFL player, he had fun dancing and taking videos of him out having a good time. But he said that started to change when the videos began to be “used as a downfall.” When he was open and authentic, he felt it backfire, and viewed “Kindness is taken for weakness.” The reporter noted that Odell closed himself off, quoting Odell as saying: “It’s hard to live in a lens where I’m going to be judged for those moments.”

- Short Term vs Long Term: As an NFL player, Odell was living a short and fast life, with big money going in, and big money going out. He began to think about his mortality, his unpredictable career, and how to make his career more scalable.

- Looking Around: When Odell invited Ajay to live with him in his big football house (according to the article, this is common for celebrities to do who need their social life close and private to them), Ajay accepted and they started moving and grooving. When Odell approached Ajay about doing the business development stuff, Ajay immediately looked around to find out: “Who can I trust? Who can I learn from? Who is doing it right?”

- Calmness: From the article, you’ll learn that Ajay is constantly thinking of what can work, what needs to change in order to grow, and what is fulfilling to their business and their people. But - Odell brings Ajay back down to calmness. Eventually the two moved apart from each other, and this improved Ajay’s mental health. “It gives their relationship more of a rhythm. ‘When I visit, [Odell’s] like ‘Hey man, you’re here for the weekend. Stop thinking, stop talking, just relax, enjoy a beer.”

- Wisdom: Here is some wisdom Odell shared with the reporter, that he tells to friends who are struggling: “I’ve said this so many times - I’m like bro, just remember the other time where you thought you weren’t going to be able to keep going, and the worst fucking possible thing happened, and then you got over it. And then it happened again, and this one was worse than the last. And it’s like, you just have to know that it is going to happen. It is. And that’s kind of what you’re saying about a moment, not the moment. I don’t really know if there is the moment. There might be that once-in-a-lifetime thing, but I feel like if you’re waiting for that, you’re not being present, and you’re not living in a bunch of moments that are happening right in front of you.”

Go read the full article. Better: subscribe to the magazine in print so that you can experience it as a page-turner on paper.

Great PR Idea For Any Business: The "My Economy" Segment On Marketplace

As many of you know, if you follow Tin Shingle’s Instagram, I’m a big fan of the radio/podcast series of shows under Marketplace from APM (American Public Media). All of the Marketplace shows. Your business definitely wants to be showcased there, in some capacity. The benefit of business news is that it gives your business validation - as a business. Not just as a service or product that people really want to buy. Of course you want that :) But you also want to be a contributor to how businesses are thinking right now.

In Tin Shingle’s PR Leads section, that you can access with a membership with Tin Shingle, you’ll find a suggestion to pitch the “My Economy” segment that airs from time to time on Marketplace. It’s where Marketplace host Kai Rysdall interviews a business owner for their take on their corner of the economy. He wants to know how the pandemic shifted the business, or how a life transition transformed the business or started a new one. Anything that has to do with trends (good or bad) in the economy right now, he wants to know about it as it relates to your business. Sometimes he has back a guest as a followup!

The story angle must be money-focused, as well as small-business focused. Ideas can include life-based transitions, pandemic-based transitions, supply-chain-induced transitions, anything related to money and regular life and how it help or hurt the business.

Producers seem to like a focus on a money-shift as it relates to current events. So if it's the sad, sad war in Ukraine, the pandemic, BLM (Black Lives Matter), a fight for living a normal life in the LGBTQ (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Trans Queer) community, transitioned life as a parent or caregiver, etc.

Recent recorded features have included:

A traveling barber makes house calls and friends
Tara Morgan roves Vashon Island to help customers look spiffy. Her business, C'Mon Barber, is the result of a midlife transition.

Role reversal at home has allowed her photo studio to grow during the pandemic
When her husband started working from home, Liz Hansen was able to spend more time at her boudoir-style photography business.

How a Kentucky teen is balancing work and her first year of college
Aneesha Edwards has a full tuition scholarship but still expects to take on about $10,000 of debt every year she's in school.

This Maine fishery owner tries to keep an even keel amid volatile scallop prices
"How do you set your price when you don’t know if it’s going to be $12 a pound or $37 a pound?" says Togue Brawn of Downeast Dayboat.

Interviews are few, so this is a difficult spot to land. Use Tin Shingle’s Pitch Whisperer in the Google Group to run a draft of your pitch by us (ok, me, Katie) to see how it reads, and if it can be catchier. Feeling shy? You can book a Private Session no problem.