Smart in Public The PR/Journalist Relationship Rehab Episode w/ Meredith Klein, Meredith & The Media
Nov 26, 2025
Meredith Klein is a seasoned communications strategist with 20 years in PR, having worked with Jet.com, Walmart, and Pinterest. In this engaging discussion, she sheds light on the disconnect between PR professionals and journalists, emphasizing the need for concise pitches that truly resonate with media. Meredith urges PR pros to embrace personal branding as a survival tactic and reveals effective strategies for building genuine journalist relationships. She also critiques the reliance on AI for pitches and encourages a more authentic, niche-focused approach to media outreach.
AI Snips
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Transcript
Episode notes
Substack Built From A Rolodex
- Meredith Klein launched Meredith in the Media in May and used her 20-year Rolodex to book journalist interviews.
- Within six months she grew to ~3,000 subscribers and 60,000 monthly views.
Cut The Pitch To One Liner
- Keep pitches extremely short and get to the point immediately.
- Meredith Klein says long, multi-paragraph pitches waste reporters' time and get deleted.
Audience Beats Prestige
- Journalists choose stories primarily by whether they resonate with their audience.
- Meredith Klein stresses tailoring outlet selection to audience fit, not prestige alone.