YOU BETTER KNOW YOUR STUFF IF YOU CALL ENTERTAINMENT REPORTERS

By David Brimm (PCC Past President)

Bill Zwecker (from left), Janet Davies, Terry Armour, Lewis Lazare.

Many of us in the large crowd (150 PR professionals) attending the September PCC luncheon featuring Chicago’s top entertainment reporters, were chagrined to discover that the top pet-peeve of reporters is: poorly trained PR professionals who contact them without having all the facts required to pitch a story. There’s a lesson here, and it’s that before you contact any reporter, have the facts down cold and anticipate what questions they might ask.

Although this lesson was hammered home, it did not detract from the jovial atmosphere generated among the panelists who took great delight in dissing each other. Participating in the program were: Janet Davies, Entertainment Reporter for WLS-TV, Channel 7 & host of 190 North; Bill Zwecker, Entertainment Reporter for WBBM-TV, Channel 2 and the Chicago Sun Times; Terry Armour, Entertainment Reporter for WGN-TV, Channel 9 and the Chicago Tribune. The program was moderated by Lewis Lazare, Advertising/Marketing Columnist for the Chicago Sun Times.

Lewis Lazare

After Terry Armour good naturedly booed competitor Bill Zwecker, Lewis Lazare restored order. Lazare, celebrating his third year as the Sun-Times advertising/marketing columnist, noted that he wants his column to be distinctive, moving into more featured reporting than a bulletin board. One of his innovations is rating TV commercials as if they were "mini-movies." While this is frequently done by advertising trade magazines, it is largely unheard of by daily papers.

Lazare is looking for (surprise) breaking news. He noted that it’s slow in the ad game these days for good news stories so he’s a bit more receptive to pitches. He comes in each day about 9:00 am and reviews his emails. He prefers that the first contact be made via email unless it’s a breaking story. He can be reached at llazare@suntimes.com.

Terry Armour

Terry Armour has worked his way up the Tribune ladder, from copy clerk, to sports as the Bull’s beat reporter and "Odds and Ins" columnist, to the Inc. column, to his present assignment as entertainment reporter. His weekly column "Armour & Company" is designed more like a magazine than a newspaper column, according to Armour, since his weekly frequency necessitates that he approach stories with a different editorial eye. He noted that with the demise of Inc., a popular venue for PR people disappeared. But he noted that he’s always open to celebrity-based pitches both for his column and his WGN-TV segment. Email is the preferred contact medium. His email address is: tarmour@tribune.com.

Janet Davies

Janet Davies began her presentation with a somewhat unflattering joke about the number of PR people it takes to screw in a light bulb. It takes eight, but we won’t go into the details. Davies, who joined ABC7 as a feature reporter in 1984 (and continues in this capacity), today also hosts the Emmy award-winning 190NORTH, which is celebrating its fifth anniversary. It airs Sunday nights at 10:35PM.

Davies made it clear that her show is "Chicago-focused," and that the best way to get a feel for the types of features she runs is by visiting the show’s website at www.190north.com/list.htm. It contains archives from past shows, which will help prevent inappropriate pitches.

One of the attributes that sets Janet Davies apart from other hosts/producers is that she is committed to "treating everyone with courtesy and respect." She, or her producers, will discuss your story, and if they can’t use it, will take time to explain why the story isn’t right. They also return most phone calls (gasp!).

In addition to not knowing the format and having your facts in hand, she has two other pet peeves. The first is over-promising a celebrity guest and guaranteeing that a celebrity will be available for a taping if you aren’t really sure of their availability. The other is leaving fast, breathless voice mail messages without leaving an audible name and return phone number.

Davies added that in addition to celebrity stories, they like travel pieces of exotic locations (other than Disneyland). She can be reached at the 190 North hotline at (312) 750-7580, or via email at producers@190north.com.

Bill Zwecker

Bill Zwecker has been serving up his daily does of entertainment news in Chicago since the 1980s. Today, he is the entertainment reporter for CBS2 Chicago and is the celebrity and entertainment columnist for the Sun-Times. He also is the entertainment reporter for the "Eric and Kathy Show" on WTMX-FM every Friday morning at 9:10 AM.

Zwecker does not accept faxes and prefers email. Keep in mind that Zwecker is not at the Sun-Times on Friday-Sunday, so if you want a piece in Monday, you need to get it to him at an alternative email than those at the paper (bzwecker@suntimes.com) or at WBBM (bzwecker@cbs.com). The best contact email for this is bzwecker@aol.com.

His advice for pitching stories is to read his column. He doesn’t cover society events, doesn’t want tips on which celebrity was seen at which restaurant, and he usually has a national slant to his columns, confining coverage in Chicago to stories with a recognized celebrity. He prefers anecdotal stories and wants exclusives. So if you are offering one, make sure to tell him that when you contact him.

His pet peeves? Don’t follow up on press releases (what a surprise!), and remember that his column is celebrity-driven.

Q-and-A

During the Q&A that followed, some other information was shared:

Those fortunate to have attended the PCC luncheon walked away with a briefcase full of hands-on tips for garnering coverage in the media represented by the panel. The discussion was lively, the information valuable, and the networking terrific. And you missed the light bulb joke.