From Red to Black

From Red to Black

by Giles Taylor, Intern (@gilescatherine)

Well, it has certainly been quite an educational few weeks for me. I started out last week with an assignment to write my first pitch which came back with a lot of red – but as they say, practice always makes perfect. Later that same day I set out to write my second pitch, which resulted in much less red ink. Needless to say, I was quite pleased with myself!

The following day, I was allowed to send out my first pitch to a specific media list I had produced. Although it has not generated any interest as of yet, I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will spark the eye of at least one person.

Beyond pitching, I was able to sit in a few more briefings where I was able to hear a client speak with the media for the first time. As with everything new, there are always critiques so I was able hear how to counsel a client on how to improve their media skills. I love these first hand experiences that I feel I would not get to learn anywhere else.

Outside of the office, I am finally starting to grasp the importance of social media sites such as Twitter. I used to think it was a ridiculous site where people posted random nothings about their life. Although I have only updated my status a handful of times, I have realized the depth of its capabilities. I am following news sites such as The New York Times and less official news sites such as Gawker but I also have found many people to follow who are in the “green” business. Last night when catching up with a friend I realized that she was not up-to-date on some news that I had found out earlier in the day via Twitter. This was enough proof to me that social media sites have taken over on news reporting.

So, hopefully soon I too will be updating my Twitter like a pro and begin receiving positive responses to my pitches!