The Recap: AMA with Business Insider, CNET, & Former SELF Editor

Here's what we covered.

On June 18, our Ask Media Anything (AMA) featured three of the top editors and digital directors in in healthcare and health tech including Blake Dodge of Business Insider, Sarah Mitfoff of CNET, and freelancer Amy Marturana.

Your media questions answered.

What stories are healthcare and health tech reporters covering right now? Below is a snippet of the questions and answers we covered on the AMA while we live tweeted:

Q: How do you decide to open a pitch?

From @dodgeblake Healthcare Reporter at Business Insider: Important to include specifics in the subject line. Details are important, I always know vague subject lines are going to be a pass from me.

@sarahmitroff, @amymarturana, and @dodgeblake agree that an engaging relevant subject line matters!

Based on Business Insider’s policies, unless it’s an exclusive, I won’t be able to write a feature story on it. – @dodgeblake Healthcare Reporter at Business Insider

I wish I got more pitches about trends – @dodgeblake Healthcare Reporter at Business Insider

I do rely on pitches to help source experts and determine whether or not something is a trend – @amymarturana Freelancer & Fmr Deputy Fitness Editor at SELF

80% me and the CNET team deciding stories based on what’s going on around us. 20% based on trends from pitches – @sarahmitroff Senior Editor at CNET

@sarahmitroff Senior Editor at CNET – we’ve had a lot of non-COVID content do very well on our page and are always looking for non-COVID content.

For all intents and purposes, I’m still a coronavirus reporter, but the definition of that has shifted over time. I’m looking for forward-looking, permanent coronavirus trends that are going to stick around. – @dodgeblake Healthcare Reporter at Business Insider

How is your outlet planning to cover COVID in the long-term? 

At Business Insider, even our oil reporter was considered a coronavirus reporter. Moving forward, other verticals will continue to be impacted by COVID, but coverage will be more selective. – @dodgeblake Healthcare Reporter at Business Insider

@amymarturana Freelancer & Fmr Deputy Fitness Editor at SELF – At first, it was weird for publications to write about anything besides COVID. I’ve seen that start to die down but they’re going to keep covering breaking news related to COVID. 

@sarahmitroff Senior Editor at CNET – CNET is going back to the bread and butter of what CNET covers. We’ll still have teams that look at the science of COVID and how it impacts our regular verticals. 

How do you like to see data in pitches?

I think that data is useful, as long as it is research-based, significant and it can’t be too niche. It needs to apply to bigger picture. – @sarahmitroff Senior Editor at CNET

@amymarturana Freelancer & Fmr Deputy Fitness Editor at SELF – I can’t really use data unless it’s really significant, with huge numbers. I usually don’t use data from pitches unless it’s from a scientific journal. 

I’d be most interested in exclusive data. And a lot of the time the big picture is missing from a data pitch. Why is this data credible? Why does it matter? – @dodgeblake Healthcare Reporter at Business Insider.

What credentials do you need to see for expert commentary?

We’re not interested in sources that are providing a self-serving quote.I need that person’s input but we need balanced sources. – @sarahmitroff Senior Editor at CNET

The publications I work for are looking for sources/doctors that are associated with a teaching hospital. – @amymarturana Freelancer & Fmr Deputy Fitness Editor at SELF

I literally never take people up on pitches that are offering expert sources. What would work better is an introduction to an expert with a proposed topic/trend. I’m looking for a candid discussion with an expert, with no expectations for a story. @dodgeblake Healthcare Reporter at Business Insider

"Pre-packaged quotes are not going to work. We have a standard at Business Insider that doesn’t allow us to include written quotes.” @dodgeblake Healthcare Reporter at Business Insider

“Talking points are helpful, but pre-written quotes are not.” @amymarturana Freelancer & Fmr Deputy Fitness Editor at SELF

Are Health Tech VCs helpful?

@sarahmitroff Senior Editor at CNET – VCs are not helpful. We just don’t really cover the VC scene, not what our audience is looking for. 

With CEO and founder I find they are offered to me without medical credential and in that case I wont be able to use that founder

I exclusively cover business so CEOs and VCs are my favorite people to talk to.– @dodgeblake Healthcare Reporter at Business Insider

I find that VCs in particular are so on top of changes in the industry. I really like to hear how COVID has impacted their strategy. – @dodgeblake Healthcare Reporter at Business Insider

How do you keep sources on file?

The less you try to sell me on a source vs. creating hypothetical stories they can speak to, the better.  – @sarahmitroff Senior Editor at CNET

I definitely keep sources on file. I have a spreadsheet that helps me find a source on a ton of different health topics. – @amymarturana Freelancer & Fmr Deputy Fitness Editor at SELF

Most people I know have some kind of spreadsheet of sources. – @dodgeblake Healthcare Reporter at Business Insider

Tip from @dodgeblake Healthcare Reporter at Business Insider – Incorporate keywords into your pitch to help a reporter find your email down the road when they’re looking for a source. 

Zoom out and think about where you are in the universe. We might not write a profile on your company @dodgeblake but… if you’re looking for in-depth coverage. That’s when I want to talk to the founder, CEO and CTO to hear what makes your technology different. Sometimes that doesn’t make the cut for coverage, but if your founder is really candid, that automatically makes me more interested. @dodgeblake 

When you are doing an interview how much impact does relationship building have I like the personal touch. I interview people that are so heavily media trained, they’re speaking from a script. @sarahmitroff Senior Editor at CNET

I really hate when a company attacks its competitors. Let your own product and your own business stand for itself. – @sarahmitroff Senior Editor at CNET

I’m looking for someone who has good, smart experts, who are able to give a good interview. Being overly media trained is part of the problem. – @amymarturana Freelancer & Fmr Deputy Fitness Editor at SELF.

My pet peeve in health tech is when people are overly media trained and are less-transparent about how the company operates. – @dodgeblake Healthcare Reporter at Business Insider.

How did you choose your beat?

I started in health and beauty. But I started to gravitate towards health when I realized I was actually helping people by giving them clear information about their health. – @amymarturana Freelancer & Fmr Deputy Fitness Editor at SELF.

I had a personal interest in health and it just worked out that way. I got lucky that awesome opportunities opened up to me. – @sarahmitroff Senior Editor at CNET