In this month’s Meet the Media series, we’re talking about award-winning broadcaster, newspaper columnist and business leader, Patti Payne. Patti currently writes for the Puget Sound Business Journal as a columnist, covering all things lifestyle. She has a heart for nonprofits, animals and gardening.
Last week, Fearey had the pleasure of sitting down with Patti and picking her brain for a Meet the Media session. Here’s what we learned:
When receiving a pitch…
If the storyline isn’t compelling, it’s getting deleted. Grab Patti’s attention right a way and suck her into the story you are trying to convey. Whenever deciding whether to write a story or not, she thinks to herself “who cares?” Who would care about this? What makes this story more interesting than the rest? If Patti can make a connection to herself, she knows she can reach her audience.
Pet Peeves…
There are few things that get to Patti, but if a PR professional comes to her with misspellings or inaccuracies, she’s not going to take her time to respond. When sending emails or pitches to the media, double, triple-check that you have given accurate information and spelled things correctly – especially her name!
What Inspires Patti…
When looking for inspiration, Patti looks to books and authors, both classic and new, and the world around her. She believes that every name in a “phone book” has an intere4sting story, and she knows how to bring it out. When it does come to the news, Patti watches broadcasts on BBC and reads Washington Post, Christian Science Monitor and others for balanced coverage. Patti normally stays off of most social media, other than Facebook, so when trying to reach her, call her cell or email and don’t DM.
Quarantine Habits…
Patti has spent the past year doing things for herself! She has loved baking bread – she has made over 500 loaves for people in one year! Voracious reading, gardening, playing music (she has a band and plays drums) and sitting outside under an old-growth cedar tree in her yard to unwind, unseen and away from her jangling phone, have been just some of her favorite activities.