Reporter vs. Publicist

Being a reporter for more than 10 years and switching gears to become a publicist makes that person an asset to any company, organization and so forth.

The knowledge gained throughout those years as a reporter provides that individual with much expertise in the industry of public relations.

With my background as a reporter, I always sought out ideas that could be pitched to my editor that could be turned into a story for publishing. To make a name for oneself in the community, it is always good to develop connections with those organizations or businesses in which stories were for. From time to time, reaching back out to that contact inquiring about upcoming events or just checking to see how they are doing could lead into one’s next story.

What was learned about being a reporter can be utilized in the role of a publicist. With that type of previous experience as a reporter, a publicist will know the kinds of stories news outlets or publications seek to report. A recommendation to landing that story for a client would be to research reporters and their beats to find out what they covered and see if it correlates with those wanting coverage.

For example, if a client primarily focuses on cybersecurity, try to pitch to reporters covering it. Keep that in mind while creating the press release that the lead hooks whoever will be reading it. Again, from a publicist perspective, ponder if it would be a subject that one would want to cover if they were a reporter.

Both roles do face challenges at times, especially with the current pandemic of COVID-19. Do not get discouraged, but instead aim to think outside the box on other avenues for networking, getting stories published, and staying up to date on the latest trends. 

ABOUT OUR GUEST AUTHOR

Tatiana Ortiz

Tatiana Ortiz joined Omni Public in August of this year as the Communications Associate. She brings an array of skills and experiences to the team that can be utilized in any given project that Tatiana gets assigned to. Her writing talents and journalistic background make Tatiana a very versatile team member at Omni Public. Before her start at Omni Public, she attended the University of South Florida and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Mass Communications with a concentration in Public Relations. She graduated from the University of South Florida in December of 2015. From there, she began writing for the Tampa Bay Times as a Times Correspondent. Tatiana worked there for three years, covering various beats such as profiles, feature stories, and much more. She also covered events in the Hillsborough County area, which included the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Homeless Initiative outreaches and more. Tatiana also interned at WFLA News Channel 8, where she went out onto the field and shadowed, along with assisted reporters on their daily assignments. Also, Tatiana did help the news desk with different tasks and so forth. With that in mind, Tatiana currently writes for the Osprey Observer Newspaper as a freelance writer. She has written for this publication for 10 years. At the Osprey Observer Newspaper, Tatiana writes business profiles, feature stories, and so much more. Tatiana feels grateful for all of the knowledge and skills she has gained thus far in her career. She looks forward to growing with her role at Omni Public. In her downtime, Tatiana enjoys photography, biking, the beach, and spending time with friends and family.

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