How do you prefer to be contacted by PRs? It’s always preferable to contact me via email. By a personalised email, rather than a press release, and one that is targeted to my publication with a specific angle.
 

How do you choose which stories to write-up? I would choose a story that is specific, targeted, exclusive and suitable for Grazia. I don’t tend to take much notice of a general press release, I know that my colleagues in different publications will have seen it so it’s not exclusive.
 

Which PR habit do you find most irritating? Phoning and asking if they can send me a press release, and then asking if they can have my email to send me a press release. Also asking me for a forward features mailing list, we don’t forward plan because we’re a weekly, but that comes down to researching the publication. If a PR writes to me and says, ‘I’ve got a story for your travel news page,’ or ‘I’ve got a story for your food page,’ it means that they’ve read the actual magazine and thought about which pages their story might be placed.

Do you think strong, ongoing relationships with PRs are helpful? I do have a few PRs that I just get on really well with. It always helps to meet them face-to-face, they’re the ones that tend to get through my PR wall.

How has the way you interact with PRs changed in recent years? We’re expected to do more at work, we’re expected to write more, we’re expected to write on our website as well as print, as well as brand extensions. There’s never a week where it’s just doing the print magazine anymore. A digital-savvy PR is always very good as well and also one who thinks about the 360 experience.

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