Media Monitoring: Markeplace Tech - Doubling Down On People, Climate, COVID

As media outlets find their grooves in how to cover a pandemic of COVID-19 as well as a social revolution, Marketplace Tech, the daily tech podcast hosted by Molly Wood, seems to be doubling down in its years long mission to cover unusual tech topics by highlighting the people - or people angle - behind them. The pandemic and protests of 2020 have leveled people so much, that every-day stories are looking more and more like gems.
From the Marketplace's family of podcast About page: “We’re a nonprofit news organization on a mission to raise the economic intelligence of the country. For more than 30 years, we’ve helped people become smarter about the economic forces that touch their daily lives through the unorthodox story, the casual conversation and the unexpected angle on the news. And while we are very serious about covering business and the economy, we don’t take ourselves too seriously."

Lately, host Molly Wood seems extra fascinated with stories that break down traditional assumptions about tech (that tech knows everything by itself, without human involvement, like in this story “Algorithms for vaccine distribution have a weakness: the people behind them” ), as well as how the virus has connected communities and will force (hopefully) regions to think beyond their borders so as not to ruin their neighbors, as has happened for centuries, or the dawn of time, like with this story “Making sure climate solutions don’t make more problems”.

Remote Learning is not going away anytime soon, so anyone starting a new program, or having new insights, should consider a story angle. This story, “For-profit online schools are getting a second look from parents” highlights a study that quite honestly made for-profit online schools look bad, with large student to teacher ratios, and made the public schools out to look like they had small student to teacher ratios. Anyone currently in the public school system knows this not to be the case. If this is you - if you created an online program, think of a story angle and pitch it!

Website designers are also big contenders here, as more and more businesses turn to the internet to stay connected to their customers. This story, “A possible life raft for small businesses selling online” featured Intuit’s (Quickbooks) new tool that connects people’s sales channels in their bookkeeping software to help sellers see where the money is coming from. Molly from Marketplace Tech made sure to mention that Shopify was on notice to be squashed by Amazon, which so far (hopefully) never happened (and may it never happen).

Make Sure Your Website and Social Media Is Ready

For any of these stories, make sure your website is ready to handle any sales inquires. If you sell a service, like a remote learning program or are a website designer, make sure there is a clear path for how people can reach out to you, or sign up with you.

Same goes for your social media. Need help with either of these? Get specialized guidance through Tin Shingle’s Private Training. Our sister company, Katie James, Inc. produces and designs websites, and works specifically with small businesses. Even if you have a design team already, we can help tell you what to have them do. Outside ideas are always helpful. Best of all, become a Tin Shingle Member and get in our Google Group to start giving and getting feedback.

Not Sure How To Pitch Marketplace Tech?

There are many story angles you could come up with. If you need courage to send one out, or feedback telling you are on the right track - or not - join Tin Shingle today to get connected into our Google Group and start a conversation to get our feedback. Tin Shingle does keep a database of Media Contact Ideas, some with job titles and email addresses. This particular lead encourages you to pitch into the generic email. But reaching a producer can’t hurt (usually)!

Marketplace Tech Story Angle Notice In Tin Shingle’s PR Leads

This story angle notice has been added to Tin Shingle’s PR Leads section. Marketplace Tech is looking for ideas, and they give their generic email for you to submit to. While anyone can hear this on their podcasts, Tin Shingle added it to our members-only PR Lead Center, as a way to help our members have one place to get different ideas.

Media Contacts Updated! The Conversation, Mindbodygreen, MedPage Today, Podcasts, And Many More

MEDIA CONTACT UPDATES

The Conversation, Mindbodygreen, MedPage Today, Podcasts, and many more have been updated in our Media Contact database and what is a better time than now to pitch pitch pitch!

A few examples include:

Beth Daley who is the Editor and General Manager for The Conversation and specializes in all things, Kids, Environment, Genetics, Climate Change, Food Labeling, Fishing & Journalism.

Bruce G Wilson Jr, who is the Chief Innovation and Development Officer of The Conversation specializing in, Business Development, Strategic Branding and Communications, Publishing and Content Monetization, Building Sales and Marketing

And to name a few more (because we like you...)

Jason Wachob, who is the Founder of Mindbodygreen and Co-Founder/CoCEO of the MBG podcast has been added. His areas of interest include, Psychology, Wellness, Health, & Digital Media.

And another one! Stephanie Eckelkamp, who is a contributing writer for mindbodygreen specializing in, Health, Wellness, Nutrition, Natural Remedies, & Natural Beauty.

There are many more Media Contacts who have been added to our database! Plus, it is super easy to use! We made a short video to show you how to search for media contacts in our database. View it HERE.


Tin Shinglers with the Media Kit Membership get access to any and all Media Contacts. Apply for Tin Shingle membership today to get access!

Get Ideas

Need ideas of why to pitch these shows? Start a conversation in Tin Shingle's Pitch Whisperer. Or tune in every other Wednesday to our members-only group consulting session, Pitch Whisperer TuneUp.

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

A News Site Led By Women Of Color: Prism

In an article written by Hanaa' Tameez, Prism, a news site led by women of color, is discussed in regards to marginalized people.

Senior reporter, Tina Vasquez, shared a story last month about a doctor in Georgia, Mahendra Amin, “who allegedly forcibly sterilized immigrant women in the Irwin County Detention Center (ICDC) in Georgia.” Vasquez, a seasoned immigration and reproductive rights reporter, used her resources from the south when she first heard about whistleblower Dawn Wooten’s complaint against the doctor.

“Whenever there’s something breaking, it always starts with a Slack message from Tina where she just says, ‘ASHTON,'” said, Prism editor-in-chief, Ashton Lattimore. “Once that story broke, Tina sprang into action. She’s well-connected within the circles of migrant folks, particularly in the South, so she started reaching out to people within the community where this was happening, and to the advocates who were behind the complaint to see what she could learn.”

“This wasn’t “a clear-cut narrative about a whistleblower being a hero,” Vasquez said. “It also came from my understanding, covering immigration for a very long time, that so many of the injustices we hear about in detention centers — especially as they relate to in-custody deaths and people becoming ill — start with the medical department.” A cut-and-dry whistleblower story “didn’t gel with what I knew as a reporter and didn’t gel with what I was hearing from affected women and sources that I trust.”

From Hanaa' Tameez -

Vasquez interviewed residents of Douglas, Georgia, who knew Amin and said he was a “pillar in the community” and started a Facebook page to support him. She also spoke to immigrant women who had encountered both Amin and Wooten, a nurse who used to work at ICDC, and alleged that Wooten was “complicit” in their mistreatment and “made jokes at their expense.” It was important to include these threads in her stories, Vasquez said, even if they complicate what originally might have seemed like a saga with a clear hero and a clear villain.

Lattimore agreed that it was more important to bring these women’s stories to the forefront. “We’re not going to silence their voices just because what they’re saying might be complicated or confusing,” Lattimore said. “This is about them…This is a systemic problem, and these are the women who are bearing the brunt of this systemic, long-term issue.”

The approach of centering the voices of marginalized people in its stories is core to Prism’s mission. “No matter the subject, Prism’s editorial content is rigorous, fact-based, and starts from the ground up by centering the perspectives of impacted people, community leaders, and grassroots organizers,” the site’s Mission page explains. 

Nonprofit entrepreneur Iara Peng founded Prism in 2018. Lattimore, a former attorney and graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School, is Prism’s editor-in-chief, a role she stepped into this past summer after serving as managing editor there since November 2019. The team also includes a senior editor, three reporters including Vasquez, an operations manager, an administrative assistant, a digital communications manager, and an intern. Most of the staffers (including all the reporters) are women of color, and they all live in different cities, which allows Prism to keep tabs on stories happening across the U.S.

Prism’s journalism is about a number of different themes: gender, elections, criminal justice, immigration, race, and worker’s rights. But those issues often intersect. “As we built our reporting team and our relationships with freelance folks, we started to see the degree to which all of these issues are interconnected,” Lattimore said. “A lot of our workers’ rights stories are also gender justice stories, and a lot of our immigration stories are also racial justice stories. On the website, it’s helpful for readers who have a particular interest area to know what to click on. But our reporters and editors have a deep understanding that a lot of these things are more than one thing at once.”

As a nonprofit, Prism is funded through donations and the support of foundations like Open Philanthropy and Women’s Foundation of California. Another key funder is the liberal news site Daily Kos, which also republishes all of Prism’s stories. The site’s Code of Ethics lays out how it thinks about the concept of impartiality:

As a non-profit, non-partisan media organization, Prism does not contribute, directly or indirectly, to political campaigns or to political parties or groups seeking to raise money for political campaigns or parties. 

However, we recognize that journalists are as much members of our society and polity as anyone else, and as such can be significantly impacted by policies enacted at the local, state, and federal levels. Our aim is not to set our newsroom staff apart from the political process or their roles and obligations as citizens and community members. Nevertheless, to maintain our readers’ trust and our editorial independence and integrity, we ask that editorial staff refrain from taking an activist role in partisan political activity, including volunteering for campaigns, signing petitions, participating in marches or rallies, displaying lawn signs or making political contributions. This policy applies only to political activity specific to a candidate or party. Issue-oriented political activity is permitted and encouraged, along with participation in civic, charitable, religious, public, social or residential organizations.

Prism also has a republishing partnership with Migrant Roots Media, which translates Prism’s stories into Spanish. The targeted partnerships with national and local organizations allow Prism to build trust with different communities of readers. “If you’re going to shift narratives in this country, you need people to actually read what you’re doing,” Lattimore said. Going forward, the focus will be on building more publishing partnerships with local organizations across the country.

As part of that goal, Prism on Tuesday announced its senior fellowship program, in which writers will work with Prism’s editorial team to shape coverage of key issues and solutions in their communities. The fellows will write for Prism, and at least one story by each fellow will be part of a larger investigative series produced by staff reporters and freelancers. The first class of senior fellows includes Patrisse Cullors, the cofounder of Black Lives Matter; Mary Hooks, the co-director of LGBTQ group Southerners on New Ground; Mónica Ramírez, the founder of Justice for Migrant Women; Maurice Mitchell, the national director of the Working Families Party; LaTosha Brown, the cofounder of the Black Voters Matter Fund; Kevin Killer, a former South Dakota legislator and cofounder of Native Youth Leadership Alliance and Advance Native Political Leadership; and Aimee Allison, founder of She the People and president of Democracy in Color.

Much of Prism’s editorial strategy has centered around leaning into the reporters’ expertises and filling the gaps in reporting left by mainstream news outlets. And while all of the beats focus on heavy issues, Prism’s culture section (“that tab is my happy place,” Lattimore said) works to uplift and amplify the work of creators of color. Prism doesn’t employ a full-time culture reporter, but Lattimore said all of the reporters are empowered to do culture reporting through the lenses that they’re interested in, whether it’s criminal justice or gender justice or something else.

“Our approach to culture reporting is, like everything we do, fundamentally rooted in the justice and resiliency of communities of color,” Lattimore said. “I think it’s important to cover culture in a way that’s not explanatory. It’s just letting people share their work, trying to understand more deeply the significance of it, and what it means in our own lives.”

Tin Shingle has added many of these media contacts to our database! Become a member to have access.

Media Contact Update: Joi Marie Leaves Essence After Two Years Of Serving Black Women

On September 18, Joi Marie announced in a tweet her departure with Essence after two long years. She has started a new role as Deputy Editor for Insider. Before her time with Essence magazine, she had worked nearly a decade in network news from Good Morning America and ABC News to ABC Radio and NBC News. She is the author of The Engagement Game and has freelanced for her family’s The Afro American Newspaper, the longest-running newspaper owned by a Black family in the country.

Joi Marie has been updated in our Media Contact database! 

Skim Through Tin Shingle's Media Contacts Database

Tin Shingle's Media Contact Database makes your research a little easier. It’s easy! Log into your member account at Tin Shingle, and go to the Media Contact Idea Center. From there, you'd see a box that says "Areas of Interest," and you'd start typing LA or Los Angeles. A list of suggestions would begin coming up. Done! See how to search for media contacts HERE.

Tin Shinglers with the Media Kit Membership get access to any and all Media Contacts. Apply for Tin Shingle membership today to get access!

Get Ideas

Need ideas of why to pitch a specific magazine? Start a conversation in Tin Shingle's Pitch Whisperer. Or tune in every other Wednesday to our members-only group consulting session, Pitch Whisperer TuneUp.

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

Tin Shinglers with the Media Kit Membership get access to any and all Media Contacts. Apply for Tin Shingle membership today to get access!

Media Contact Update: Sally Holmes Named Editor-in-Chief of U.S. Marie Claire

Photo Credit: Marie Claire

On September 15, Sally Holmes was named Editor-in-Chief for U.S. Marie Clair. Holmes has been with Marie Claire since 2018, initially as the digital director and then executive director.

“I love that I'm stepping into a role held by amazing women I’ve long admired,” said Holmes. “Marie Claire is an incredible global brand that at its core is all about empowering women, telling impactful stories and connecting with its audience of smart, stylish, ambitious women. At this critical moment in our country, I’m honored to lead a brand that has the power to inspire meaningful change, amplify voices and galvanize readers to vote.”

Sally Holmes has been updated in our Media Contact database!

---

Skim Through Tin Shingle's Media Contacts Database

Tin Shingle's Media Contact Database makes your research a little easier. Do you want to be featured in the pages of Wired Magazine? Allure Magazine? Or more of a spiritual magazine?  You can do that with our easy-to-use list that includes ways to search by subject or media outlet. See how to search for media contacts HERE.

It’s easy! Log into your member account at Tin Shingle, and go to the Media Contact Idea Center. From there, you'd see this easy box that says "Areas of Interest," and you'd start typing LA or Los Angeles. A list of suggestions would begin coming up.

Amid Racial Reckoning, ABC Brings Back Turning Point For Monthlong Program

Photo Credit: ABC News

ABC News is exploring the racial reckoning sweeping the nation and reviving The Turning Point Series for an entire month. The series will be aired over Nightline.

Turning Point, the ‘90s ABC News program, will explore how centuries of injustice led to this year's movement. Marie Nelson, senior vice president of integrated content strategy for ABC News, said in a statement, “Over the past few weeks and months, there has been a fever pitch echoing across the nation for this country to combat and undo its hundreds of years of systemic racism and inequities. With these special ‘Turning Point’ reports our viewers will see our commitment to addressing this pivotal moment.”

ABC News intends to feature “Turning Point” segments on “Good Morning America,” “World News Tonight,” “The View,” “20/20” and “This Week,” as well as on its digital, streaming and audio outlets.

Tin Shingle is updating our Media Contact Idea Center with documentarians associated with this series, as well as the Nightline crew associated with pitching article/story ideas.

You will them by searching for Areas of Interest under themes including “Black and Brown Community” “Documentarians” and whatever else their specific interest is. They will also be listed under Nightline if you were to search by Media Outlet.

Co-Founder Of Black Lives Matter Movement, Alicia Garza, Signs With ICM

Photo Credit: Lady Don’t Take No

Alicia Garza, known for co-founding the international Black Lives Matter movement, has signed with ICM Partners.

Garza has been featured in Politico, The New York Times, Essence and Time. She has been named one of Time's 100 Women of the Year and Essence's Woke 100 Women for 2017. She also hosts a podcast, Lady Don’t Take No.

Alicia Garza, proficient in writing, public speaking and freedom dreaming, has become a powerful voice in the media. Garza shares, “In order to truly understand how devastating and widespread this type of violence is in Black America, we must view this epidemic through a lens of race, gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity.”

With this, Garza has a number of future projects in the making. Her first book, Purpose Of Power: How We Come Together When We Fall Apart, will be released on October 20th. She is also set to appear alongside Oprah Winfrey for HBO's, Between The World And Me, the New York Times bestseller by Ta-Nehisi Coates.

Lady Don’t Take No is geared towards those who “like their political commentary with a side of beauty recommendations.” Garza will share her thoughts and opinions on everything from why Fenty Beauty, by Rihanna, saves lives, to how to manage microaggressions. Listen every Friday HERE.

PS. We added Alicia Garza to our Media Contact Database! HERE is how you can search for her and many other Media Contact Ideas.

Former Fox News Anchor, Shepard Smith, Joins CNBC To Host Evening News Program

Shepard Smith, former News Anchor for Fox News, joined CNBC to anchor a new one-hour evening news program, The News with Shepard Smith. Smith had been with Fox News from the beginning as an assignment reporter. Working his way through, he had advanced as a senior correspondent, chief news anchor and managing editor.

"Some of the top names among the news side at Fox" have been "leaving voluntarily one by one," a former staffer pointed out, as a majority of the network has been taken over by Donald Trump. In March 2018, Smith resigned a contract with Fox News, and told Time magazine in an interview, that the job has been “more challenging“ during Trumps presidency “and more challenging is more fun.”

CNN’s Brian Stelter reported that Smith “couldn’t take it anymore” and “had been marginalized” by Fox News.

The News with Shepard Smith, will air Monday through Friday at 7pm ET, starting this fall. In the meantime, Smith will take time off to spend with his family.

Smith will also become the CNBC’s chief general news anchor and chief breaking general news anchor, as well as executive editor of the nightly newscast.

“Gathering and reporting the news has been my life’s work,” Smith said in a statement. “I am honored to continue to pursue the truth, both for CNBC’s loyal viewers and for those who have been following my reporting for decades in good times and in bad.”

How To Find A New Person In The Media For Getting The Word Out

If you are looking for media contacts, aka "people who work in the media that you really want to write about your business," you’ve come to the right place! Tin Shinglers with a Media Kit Membership have access to our database full of hundreds of contacts from LA contacts to contacts for food!

Here's the thing - you might not know hat media outlet to hit up. You might not know about a local newspaper or obscure podcast. So Tin Shingle built a search tool for that!

Let's say you are looking for media contacts for people who write about local businesses in and around Los Angeles.

You would log into your member account at Tin Shingle, and go to the Media Contact Idea Center.

From there, you'd see this easy box that says "Areas of Interest," and you'd start typing LA or Los Angeles.

A list of suggestions would begin coming up.

We made a little video for you to show you what we mean…

Black Media Contacts In Tin Shingle's Media Contact Idea Center

Centering Black voices is more important now than ever. Below is a list of the most influential people in Black media, in industries that include Bridal, Education, Sports, Health, Wealth and Entertainment. Your pitch ideas should center around issues that are especially pertinent to people of color.

Candice Davie - Editor of Black Bride Magazine! Pitch stories, ideas and inspirational articles of interest to brides and brides-to-be of color.

Celeste Alexander - Publisher and Curator for Curated Quarters, an interior design magazine featuring Black interior designers and creatives.

Elle Gibson - Editor for Curated Quarters.

Pitch ideas would include interior design, home decor, and DIY projects by people of color.

Kenneth Meeks - The Supervising Editor and Producer of Black Enterprise Magazine, the premier business and wealth-building resource for Black Americans. Ideas to pitch would encompass investing, money, business and wealth.

Jamal Eric Watson - Executive Editor at Diverse Education, the only source of news and information concerning diversity in American higher education. Pitches should circle around the resolution of inequities that continue to exist and impact the minority population at American universities.

Carolynn L. Johnson is the CEO of DiversityInc Magazine. Their mission is to “bring education and clarity to the business benefits of diversity.” Focus your pitches on ways to encourage diversity best practices in the workplace.

Eartha Watts-Hicks in the Editor-in-Chief at Harlem World Magazine. Pitch ideas should include the news, history, and stories that make Harlem unique.

William Roger Moss III is the founder and CEO of HBCU Connect. Their mission is to communicate and connect with Black Americans by providing relevant information, services and opportunities to the HBCU Community, so your pitches should reflect those topics.

Dandrea James Harris is the Editorial Assistant at Heart & Soul Magazine. Focus your pitches on fitness, health and wellness as they pertain to women of color.

Kash Jones is the Editor-in-Chief at HipHop Weekly. Pitch topics should include hip hop news, entertainment, celebrity news, film, fashion, sports and popular culture. kash@hiphopweekly.com

Michelle Ghee is the new CEO of Jet Magazine. Topics to pitch would include news, culture and entertainment as it pertains to the Black community.

Jason Cordner is the Senior Editorial Content Creator of The Source Magazine, which is the world’s longest running rap periodical. Pitch topics should have relevance to music, entertainment, culture, style, sports and women’s issues as it pertains to the Black and Latinx communities.

Kate Ferguson is the Editor-in-Chief of Real Health Magazine, the leading health magazine for Black Americans, focusing on a broad range of health issues affecting Black families.

Datwon Thomas is the Editor at Vibe Media. Topics to pitch should circle within the music realm, including celebrities, news, and fashion.

Debert Cook is the Publisher of African American Golfer’s Digest, the foremost guide to the “soulful” world of golf, fully embodying the passion of the African American golfer.

Many more media contacts are in Tin Shingle’s Media Contact List. These are a small list, highlighted for you to see who’s out there

All of media contacts are researched manually, super boutique!

As always, send in media contact or editorial calendar requests to member@tinshingle.com