Today’s media landscape is shifting rapidly. As PR professionals engaging with the media every day, it’s crucial to continue to tap in with reporters to get a sense of how they are perceiving the latest news, trends driving their headlines and the latest discussions taking place in editorial rooms. To make sure that we, as PR professionals, are pitching stories that hit the mark for readers, I chatted with Eoin Higgins, IT Reporter at IT Brew to learn more about what he's most interested in, and what IT Brew readers are looking for. Eoin’s work focuses on cybersecurity, IT jobs, and government tech. Eoin has been a professional writer for over eight years—a career he stumbled into after answering an ad at a local paper in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts. Eoin’s work has appeared in many outlets globally, including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Intercept, the New Statesman, the Appeal, and many others.
In the Q&A below, Eoin shares his take on the latest trends we can expect to see across news outlets for the rest of 2024, how he spends his time at industry events, and tips for PR folks. Eoin also gives us the inside scoop into one of the favorite stories he’s worked on to-date (spoiler: it involves the unlikely intersection of cybersecurity and sports!).
Jaz: What are some trends and topics that you will be focused on this year? I know AI is a particularly big one with some people going crazy about all things AI, while some folks feel a bit of fatigue around it.
Eoin: I’m always interested in the tech job market and rotations in the C-suite. Employment stories are usually the ones that interest me the most out of the entirety of the tech industry.
Artificial intelligence is definitely an interesting one. I think there is a feeling on the part of a lot of people in the industry that the fatigue is real. I went to a big event recently and they were slapping the AI branding on things that didn’t necessarily deserve it. It’s stuff like this that adds to the fatigue; however, I do think it’s one of the most interesting parts of the industry right now. When I went to RSA, many of the people I spoke to mentioned that AI is currently the only thing people are talking about. It’ll be interesting to see how it’s used going forward.
Jaz: Do you have any tips/tricks for PR folks as they try to engage with security reporters in such a crowded news landscape?
Eoin: Yes, it is a pretty crowded news landscape. Luckily at IT Brew one of our strengths is that we’re not solely laser-focused on reporting breaking news. We’re mainly focused on trying to provide a service and resource for IT team leaders. That’s part of what makes it easy for us to cover the stuff we do.
As far as tips for PR people, it’s always best to build a relationship with a reporter first—a strong PR person is someone who will listen to me when I share what I’m interested in. They’re also persistent, but in the right way. You’re someone I speak to frequently, so I know you won’t just cold call me without emailing me first! If I don’t respond after one follow-up, it likely means I’m not interested. That doesn’t mean “don’t ever pitch me” but it’s important to “read the room” so to speak. Persistence doesn’t bother me and I know PR professionals I’ve established a relationship with don’t take it personally when I don’t respond.
Jaz: How do you prioritize your time at industry events? Who, in particular, do you enjoy speaking with?
Eoin: It really varies depending on which events I’m at. At an event like RSA, that’s a conference where I’m breakneck talking to people the entire time I’m there. I prefer having conversations with industry IT leaders and absorbing what I can from show floors if there is one. Events like RSA are usually where analysts and IT experts set the tone for the broader industry, so talking to them one-on-one helps me and my readers gain a better sense of where the industry’s currently at. Since I’m talking to people the entire time I’m at events, I usually catch recordings of sessions after the shows.
Jaz: Do you have a favorite story you’ve worked on?
Eoin: Yes! My favorite stories to write are around the intersection of cybersecurity, tech and sports. Earlier this year, I got to chat candidly with Red Sox VP of Technology Operations and Information Security Randy George about the challenges that the team’s IT crew faces. It’s been great to get insights into the things the IT teams do there. I also think it’s funny—I am actually a die-hard Yankees fan, but ironically enough I’ve been doing a lot of work with the Red Sox. In any case, it was cool to find out how vendors work within this space because professional sports in the United States is an industry that always has so many security questions waiting to be answered.
Overall, my discussion with Eoin revealed crucial insights into how IT Brew perceives the ongoing AI wave and how he, in particular, prefers to prioritize his time and build sources by learning directly from industry leaders at the biggest security events. More so, our Q&A revealed why it’s important to get to know who you’re pitching as a PR professional — to Eoin’s point, building a foundational relationship is a critical way to form a mutually beneficial partnership with media who are looking to tell the types of stories your clients can offer unique insight into.
Take the time to chat with the reporter you’re closest to! You never know what you might discover for you and your client—especially if your client is also a die-hard Yankees or Red Sox fan.
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