Life Beyond Press Releases Is Worth The Conversation

Is it a problem that I very rarely reach out (gosh I hate that term but it is appropriate I suppose)? I’ve realised as I sit here at my desk that I rely on the following ways to get stories:

• Reading as wide a variety of outlets as possible, from competitive papers and websites to Substacks to US titles to noodling around social media
• Receiving emails from PRs about launches, collaborations, products etc
• Talking to my contacts in the food, drink and hospitality worlds when I see them at events or while socialising
• Fielding ideas from writers, both freelance and on staff

It’s all, if I’m honest, a bit passive. So I need to get out a bit more, which is hard when I’m heading a department, but not impossible. There’s a feature under discussion at the Telegraph Magazine now for which I’m the natural writer, having travelled before to the source of the food story; I’ve got experience of and contacts in the West Bank which I think of often and wonder when and where to utilise them.

What I’m getting to is how incredibly useful trips – specifically trips with chefs, authors, restaurateurs – are for getting deep into topics, for long-lasting intel that isn’t just for a one-hit feature.

So although I am aware that there are cost implications for sending a writer off on a trip, it can really pay dividends. And I feel like there might be fewer happening because of the cost, but I’d definitely consider splitting costs or finding ways to make it do-able, simply because of the editorial value. I’m sure other editors feel the same.

It doesn’t have to be two weeks in the Maldives to write about fish soup; life beyond press releases and city-centre events is always worth the conversation.