Advice from the Media | David Freddoso
Name: David Freddoso
Title: Editorial Page Editor
Media Outlet: Washington Examiner
Twitter Handle: @freddoso
1)Describe your typical workday in 140 characters or less.
I write editorials, edit columns, select opeds, assign features, deal with various administrative issues, write columns and blog posts when I can, and promote our stuff on Twitter.
2) What’s the best pitch you’ve ever received?
Pitches are completely unmemorable to me, so the shortest are the best. If it isn’t immediately obvious why I should care, then I don’t have time. So see #4.
3) The greatest words of wisdom an editor ever gave you?
If you can say it in nine words, you can say it in seven. And if you can say it in seven words, you can probably say it in five.
4) If there were one thing you could tell every PR practitioner, what would it be?
If you’re going to bother me, make it good. If it’s good, I’ll run it. If I haven’t run your piece after several calls, there’s probably a reason, although sometimes things do slip through the cracks.
5) What’s your craziest or most interesting newsroom story?
When Phil Klein won the Andrew Breitbart award for professional journalism, I tweeted to congratulate, adding that I needed his column in five minutes or he was fired. I heard him burst out laughing from the next room.
6) What sets your page apart from the competition?
There aren’t that many center-right opinion pages in America. And we have people with very deep reporting experience in areas like health care (Philip Klein) and organized labor (Sean Higgins), plus a Hotline alum (Conn Carroll) to put out our morning newsletter. We also publish a local editorial every day, and we have someone (Barbara Hollingsworth) knowledgeable enough about the politics in DC, VA and MD to pull that off.
7) Any shameless self-promotion you want to add?
You should really sign up for the Morning Examiner. You should also buy my upcoming book on media bias, tentatively titled “Spin-masters.”
