For 10 years, #MeetTheMedia has given seasoned PR professionals and those new to the game a chance to hear directly from Australia’s top media ‘gatekeepers’ (producers, reporters, and editors) on how to get their stories heard and picked up.
For the past few years, Medianet supported the Sydney and Melbourne events.
This was my third time attending the panels, which are always carefully curated by Media Stable Managing Director Nic Hayes. It was the biggest event I’ve seen so far, and as always, I learned valuable new insights, even as a regular attendee.
In Melbourne the audience heard from Mark Davidson - Executive Producer, 3AW Breakfast with Ross and Russel, James Lake - National Manager, News Operations, Southern Cross Austereo, Kristy Mayr - Reporter/Presenter, 7 News, Tom Kelly - Chief of Staff, Nine News, Brendan Crew - Journalist, A Current Affair, Nine Network, Laeta Crawford - Editor, The House of Wellness, Tamara McDonald - Deputy National Health Editor, News Corp Australia, Emilia Fuller - Producer, Nine Podcasts and Rory Campbell - Reporter, 10 News.
In Sydney (which I attended) we heard great tips from Penny Timms - Senior Health Reporter, The Australian, Dan Healion - Executive Producer, 7 News, Will Hutchinson - Executive Producer, Daytime News on Nine, Jake Lyle - Executive Producer, Sunrise, James Willis - Presenter/Producer, DTTV, The Daily Telegraph, Rebekah Scanlan - Lifestyle Editor and Columnist, news.com.au, Grace Fitzgibbon - Reporter, 7 News, Billi FitzSimons - Editor-in-Chief, The Daily Aus, and Charlie Meller - Executive Producer, 2GB Nights with John Stanley and Healthy Living.
Mercedes Carrin, Head of Marketing at Medianet - Media Intelligence Made Smarter, spoke with Nic Hayes, Founder & MD of Media Stable, at Meet the Media 2025, about what continues to drive this industry event: helping experts, PRs, and journalists engage more effectively.
The single biggest takeaway from multiple guests was to do your research. The fastest way to have your pitch deleted is to send it to the wrong person.
It is crucial to understand the journalists’ and outlets ‘beat’ (what they report on and who their audience is). Pitching a health story to a tech reporter or a feel-good story to a hard-news producer wastes everyone's time.
While this seems simple, journalists' inboxes are flooded with irrelevant pitches. This diminishes your opportunity to build a relationship.
After being approached by someone who didn't know his name or show, Charlie Meller, who produces two shows at 2GB, recommended, "If you're getting in touch... know who I am... know what shows I work on – bare minimum."
"It's pointless... [I get stories] on a completely different subject. Think really clearly about where it is you want this story told."
– Penny Timbs (Senior Health Reporter, The Australian)
While preferences differ, the clear consensus was that email is almost always the best way to contact them, especially compared to a cold call. Panellists confirmed they do try to look at all their emails, but the subject line determines if they open your pitch.
Your email subject line is your first and in many cases, your only opportunity to impress.
Charlie Meller (Executive Producer at 2GB) urges attendees to be clear right from the subject line. "Whatever the pitch is, put it at the top, put it in the subject... I wanna know exactly what it is as quickly as possible... clear, concise, make it obvious."
"Email's probably best for me... there's nothing worse when I'm... racing to get to a 12:00 PM on-air deadline and someone calls me at 11:30 going, 'Hey, can we chat?'" – Daniel Healion (Executive Producer News at Noon on 7)
Some panellists, like Rebekah Scanlan (Lifestyle Editor at news.com.au), noted social media as a good alternative. "I've had a few pitches via TikToks, actually. People will literally do videos and be like, 'Hey, Rebecca... do you wanna do my story?' And that stands out versus 500 emails in my inbox."
Media outlets are competitive. The word "EXCLUSIVE" will immediately grab a journalist's attention.
If you can't offer a full exclusive, you must provide a unique point of difference: a new case study, a different expert, or a fresh angle no one else has. Sometimes, "exclusive" simply means you give it to one outlet first before offering it to others.
"Anything that is going to grab your attention, especially if it's an exclusive... we always want a point of difference." – Penny Timbs (The Australian)
If your story is data-heavy or "dry," it doesn't mean it's unpitchable. It just means you must connect it to a human element or a "case study." A real person's story makes the data relatable and gives the audience a reason to care.
"I think probably the drier the story, the more important it is to have a really good human case study involved."-
– Penny Timbs (The Australian)
A passionate, engaging, and articulate spokesperson can turn a dull story into a must-watch segment. Journalists stressed that the "best talent" is not always the person with the most senior title; it's the person who is best on camera or radio.
James Willis (Senior Video Producer at the Daily Telegraph) said: "You gotta decide who is the best spokesperson for your company... if you've got a young, enthusiastic person who is a 10 out of 10 talker, there's an argument to say they should be on television or on radio instead of you."
As Grace Fitzgibbon (News reporter at 7 News) highlighted, having content available on platforms like TikTok or Instagram also helps producers vet your spokesperson to ensure they are the right person to talk to.
Grace Fitzgibbon (7 News): "The first thing I will do is stalk them on social media... I don't care if you've got a million followers, if you [are poor] talent, I'm not gonna call you back 'cause you need to be good."
Finally, your talent must be available immediately. The best experts are the ones who pick up the phone at 5:00 PM for an 8:00 PM deadline, armed with quotes and facts.
"The best people... it's 5:00 or 6:00 PM, deadline is two hours away... And you pick up the phone and someone goes, 'What do you need?' And they go, bang, bang, bang, and they give you three great quotes." – James Willis (Daily Telegraph).
Make the journalist's job as easy as possible by sending a complete package. Your pitch should include all the elements they need to say "yes". That is a clear angle, high-resolution photos, video, and the direct phone number for your spokesperson.
A good press release that summarises a complex report can be invaluable.
"I like the media release... especially when there's a huge report, and the media release summarises it. Love that." – Billi FitzSimons (Editor in Chief, The Daily Aus)
During the event, I also got the chance to share with the audience how Media Monitoring can play a part in improving your media outreach and not just measure the number of clicks you've got.
You’ve landed the mention, but what do you do before and after you get that story on TV, radio, or online? How do you track the mentions, measure your earned media success, and use that data to inform your next strategy?
#MeetTheMedia continues to be an invaluable event for PR and communications professionals seeking to cut through with Australia’s most influential media voices. The core themes are clear: take the time to thoroughly understand your target journalist, lead with a compelling and relevant subject line, prioritise exclusivity or unique angles, bring stories to life with a human touch, nominate the right spokesperson—not just the highest-ranking—and equip journalists with everything they need to run with your story.
Want to experience an all-in-one integrated media intelligence platform (press release distribution, media contacts database, media monitoring and insights)? Book a demo here.