In this episode of Digital PR Explained, I’m joined by freelance journalist Andrew Hirschfeld, whose bylines include The Daily Beast, CNBC, Slate, Al Jazeera, and more. Andrew walks us through how he evaluates pitches, what freelance journalists need to bring a story to an editor, and what PR pros often overlook when reaching out.
We also discuss how a press event (not a pitch) led to his Bloomberg Businessweek piece on IndiePass and why casual conversations are often the beginning of the most impactful stories.
Whether you’ve been pitching freelancers for years or are just starting out, this episode is full of insights to help you build better, more trust-based relationships with journalists.
In this episode, Andrew and I discuss:
- The unique challenges freelance journalists face when pitching editors
- Why the bar for PR pitches is higher when working with freelancers
- What makes a pitch worth considering (and what instantly gets deleted)
- How event access, exclusives, and industry context can make or break a story
- Why mass media list blasts do more harm than good
- How long-term PR relationships can lead to better coverage
Episode Links
- Andrew’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyhirschfeld/
- LinkedIn post that inspired this episode: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/andyhirschfeld_like-most-weeks-this-week-ive-already-received-activity-7310322299918852097-8Aiz?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAKWXdkBgPj_vz4ESfsOrRb-D6wC_tgIHNw
- Andrew on X, TikTok, Instagram, and BlueSky: @andyreports