It can be easy for writers, editors, and journalists to tether themselves to a desk to knock out their content. We work under tight deadlines, after all. However, at 6AM City — the fastest growing newsletter-first local media company in the country — you’ll notice our City Editors regularly step out of their offices and into their communities. Here’s how they do it.
Get a new view
There is a time and place for working from the comforts of your home office (hello, sweatpants), but often, a change of scenery will open doors and spark creative ideas.
- Experience what you’re writing about: A press release about a new pizza restaurant can only provide so many details. Move your office to the business itself for an afternoon, and order a slice. What does it taste like? What sets it apart from other spots? Show us your best cheese pull.
- Make a new connection: You never know who you may bump into or connect with when you’re out and about, and that accidental meeting could lead to new stories or stronger community relationships. Maybe the pizza restaurant owner slings pies behind the counter and can’t wait to tell you about the family recipes that inspire their menu.
Be inspired: Listen with intentional curiosity (this is one of 6AM City’s Core Values) wherever you go. Imagine this — As you enjoy your pizza, you may peer across the street at a sign being installed for another new business. A quick Google search reveals the building has a rich history in your city, and you decide it’s worthy of a story.
Put yourself out there
Our strongest editors never wait for stories to come to them. While we receive plenty of news to our local inboxes (and please keep it coming), we’ve also learned that the best stories come from having face-to-face conversations with the movers and shakers in our cities.
- Our CHStoday team worked the red carpet of the “Outer Banks” premiere and asked the A-list cast to share their favorite spots in Charleston.
- Blues singer (and native Greenvillian) Marcus King was going to be in town to be inducted into the SC Entertainment Hall of Fame. GVLtoday put in a request with his team through his PR contact and landed the interview.
When covering a major development announcement, our CLTtoday team jumped out of a moving car (literally) for a quote from the mayor when they saw her walking down the street.
Say “yes”
Accepting in-person invitations and opportunities to attend events positions our locally-based journalists to start conversations they wouldn’t have over email. These conversations can lead to new connections and creative content. Our teams have taken over the Instagram account of Greenville’s Artisphere festival, made TikToks with online celebrity Jackson Olson of Savannah Banana fame, and covered Austin City Limits with an engaging + boots-on-the-ground approach.
Every “yes” opens the door for our local editors to connect more deeply with our audience — they are fellow members of our communities. They’re also the local business owners and leaders who make things happen.
So, the next time you need a quote, pick up your keys instead of your phone (we don’t recommend jumping out of a moving car, by the way, but we do what we need to do). Don’t be afraid to ask for the big interview. The worst they’ll say is, “No.”But in our experience, the answer is more often, “Yes.”