There’s of course, a lot of great journalism out there, butif you look at your newsfeed, there’s a lot of crap too. If you’re old enough,like I am, you remember when, instead of making stuff up, we simply, um,borrowed, from places like the New York Times and Washington Post. At leastthat’s what we did quite often at CNN back in the day. So in episode 130 ofTales From the Beat, I turn the wayback machine to 1986 when a NY Times storycaught the attention of a big boss at CNN, and I was ordered to match it andask a question that received an honest answer that I couldn’t include in mypiece. The ep includes that story, and a much younger host, Ed Garsten.

Ed Garsten's guest is longtime PR pro/marketer and current chief marketing officer at Rendezvous Robotics Kim Jennett. They discuss how Kim turned a single release into its own news cycle, how she works with influencers to build coverage, her approach to pitching reporters and of course, how she uses AI.

Host Ed Garsten welcomes Kelly Law, PR Manager at PR and marketing agency The Brand Amp. They discuss how building a trusting relationship with a reporter can result in bonus coverage for a client, Kelly's pitching strategy, how she uses AI and what reporters do to tick her off.

In this episode of Tales From the Beat, host and journalist Ed Garsten does a little "haul" video, unpacking some of the strange pitches he's received recently for stories way outside his beat like trips to a distant island and crafted cakes, along with PR people bugging him to meet with clients during trade shows who really have no news to offer.

Anna Tran lands coverage for her clients in most every media by using something she called Purpose-Driven PR. What's that? Anna explains all that to host Ed Garsten, plus her approach to building trust with clients and reporters, navigating a changing media landscape and whether or not she promises coverage to her clients.

She's a super story teller, running her own agency in Chicago. Robyn Malone is CEO and Chief Partner Officer at RJ Communications. She's the mind behind the successful "You Don't Know Jack About MS" with Jack Osborne. Host Ed Garsten and Malone discuss her unique take on developing stories, working with reporters, using story telling skills to develop pitches that earn coverage and more.

Julian Bond is a true social media/marketing superstar, having run campaigns for giant companies like Little Caesars Pizza and General RV Centers. Host Ed Garsten and Julian talk about campaigns he ran that made impact, especially one for Little Caesars related to the NCAA Men's basketball tournament, the latest tools and working together to help Chrysler boost its social media presence. A lively conversation with a very smart and savvy online marketer.

September means auto trade showtime in Detroit with the Automotive News World Congress, Management Briefing Seminars and MOVE America. It's a time of insanity for both reporters and PR people but also an opportunity for a goldmine of stories and coverage. Host Ed Garsten runs down the shows--everything from signing up for credentials, wondering where to park, landing coverage for PR people, managing the volume of material for reporters and waxing nostalgic about a big yellow tent, wrinkled backdrop and fruit smoothies from the past.