Episode #14: Yeah, It Was About Peanut Butter with Steve Dolinsky
“The person did the research, did the legwork, thought of the story, and laid it out right on a platter for the reporter. That made it really easy for me to say yes.”
-Steve Dolinsky, on a PR pitch that stands out 10 years later
This week, we dive into the world of local broadcast food reporting with Steve Dolinsky. He shares with us a pitch he received 10 years ago and just why that collaboration was so memorable to him. Spoiler: It's all about peanut butter!
In this tasty episode, you’ll learn...
The “perfect pitch” that stands the test of time
The nuances of pitching broadcast media
The importance of slowing down (it seriously helps!)
Our guest is:
Steve Dolinsky is a 13-time James Beard Award winning food journalist. He is a reporter at ABC 7 - Chicago, co-host of the podcast pizza city USA, and a contributing reporter PRI’s "The World."
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Timestamps
:00 -- Britt introduces our guest.
:47 -- Britt asks Steve to share the example story he chose. Spoiler: it’s all about peanut butter!
4:16 -- Britt asks Steve if he receives a lot of pitches in a day.
5:16 -- Britt asks if he opens every email.
6:30 -- Jackie asks if Steve only features new restaurants, or if he may feature the same restaurant repeatedly.
7:35 -- Britt asks Steve how he comes up with his own stories.
9:45 -- Steve calls out the difference between influencers and reporters in the food space.
10:15 -- Jackie shares an idea based off of the conversation so far. Steve takes it further. (Spoiler: we talk about tequila!)
12:25 -- Steve calls out an awesome PR practitioner in the food and beverage space. He mentions an article about this publicist.
14:55 -- Jackie asks if that publicist pitches multiple stories per pitch, or if she just focuses on 1.
15:58 -- Britt asks if PR’s use ‘exclusivity’ in pitches. Steve goes into detail about the importance of exclusivity.
17:30 -- Jackie asks how social media, page views, come into play.
18:09 -- Britt asks Steve about relationship building.
21:27 -- Steve goes into how he got into food reporting.
23:00 -- Steve gives words of wisdom in how to combine work and passion. He gives a real example of someone in sports PR.
26:11 -- Britt summarizes the episode so far.
26:51 -- Britt asks Steve to give a shoutout to any PR’s that exemplify what it means to be a great at media relations.
28:49 -- Jackie preaches patience. Steve agrees, also encouraging PR’s to use that time to read.
Things we mention
Connect with Steve
Connect with Jackie & Britt
