While day-to-day work life certainly varies, there’s a common theme between PR and journalism professionals: hard work. Someone who has built her career on hard work is Ali Hoxie, news reporter for Channel 7 WXYZ.
With experience working in the Ohio and Missouri markets after college, Ali made her way back to the Mitten State to report on the exciting news that happens in and around metro Detroit.
She stopped by the Franco office at the beginning of March to share her background, what she looks for in a story and how to navigate the fast-paced world of broadcast media.
Ali’s Schedule (Pre-COVID-19)
In order to make the morning news, Ali starts her day at 2 a.m. Arriving at the studio at 3:30, she checks in with her editors for her assignment and then quickly turns around two stories in time for the 5 & 6 a.m. news. Live shots are done at 7 a.m. After that, she’s free to go out and record her own stories with her photographer/camera crew – which are almost always evergreen stories.
Her motto? Never be bored! There’s always a story to promote on social or a new idea to move forward.
What’s a Good Pitch?
For Ali, finding the face to the story is the most important thing. “Stories are real life events with an impact that continues long after it airs,” she said.
She prefers something that’s exclusive and hasn’t been covered by other media. Take into consideration the person being impacted by a story rather than a CEO for an interview. Also, take timeliness and the number of people impacted by the story into consideration.
Ali enjoys relationship building with the people involved in her reporting. She has created many meaningful relationships with individuals she has done stories on to this day, she stays in touch with people she’s met through her stories.
Also, when pitching it’s important to consider the reporter and the publication’s schedule. For someone like Ali who wakes up in the middle or the night, pitches and texts coming in at 5 p.m. (aka her bedtime) are a nuisance.
Biggest Misconception of Working in News?
People don’t understand the time crunch reporters are under. Also, reporters are people, too. They are human, and they make mistakes. One typo doesn’t make someone a bad journalist.
When it comes to the age-old question of fake news? Hold your head high and do your own thing. It’s easy to get burnt out by people constantly bashing the media. It’s important to go to bed every night knowing you’re doing the best you can.
When it comes to Detroit, Ali takes any opportunity to shine a positive light on the city. Detroit moves quickly – she enjoys giving people different opinions on reporters and being there for someone on the worst day of their life.
Interested in learning how Franco creates impactful media relations programs for clients? Contact us.
Mallary Becker is an assistant account executive at Franco. Follow her on Twitter at @mallarybecker.
