Thomas Theodore, section editor of Tekkers, Forever Sports

How do you choose what to write?

At any time, I’ll have a few topics I’m interested in writing longer things about, so I tend to follow up PR-based stuff that might relate to one of those topics. For instance, if I was writing something about the Telegraph and a PR emailed offering access to legal experts, I would perhaps get in touch. Otherwise I’m always looking for things to write about for regular sections of the magazine, if a PR can allow access to someone new or something that’s not been done before, then I am interested.

How do you develop relationships with PRs?

I like to speak to about four or five PRs on a monthly basis, that way I can update them on things I’m working on or something I might be interested in working on.

What PR habit do you find most unhelpful?

Just the blatant, generic, giant, BCC- everyone-on-the-planet, kind of email, I so often receive emails about things that are in no way related to the magazine. Press releases that overly dictate what I should write about. Or any one who describes what they are sending over as ‘content,’ it’s hard to write excitedly about content. Also ones that basically email you the news.

What qualities do most value in your PR relationships?

We’re a monthly print magazine, so in comparison to daily, weekly or online publications, we often need a longer lead time. On the flip side, as writers and designers, we can often spend a few days on a piece and ultimately deliver something quite impressive. I suppose that the best PR relationships I maintain are the ones where the PR remembers that we can’t get stuff turned around overnight and caters for us in that capacity.