Advice from the Media | Rebecca Gale
February 28, 2013
Name: Rebecca Gale
Title: Opinion Editor and author of Hill Navigator, Roll Call’s advice column
Media Outlet: CQ Roll Call
Twitter Handle: @beckgale
Personal Blog: www.beckgale.com
1) Describe your typical workday in 140 characters or less.
Read op-eds. Edit. File. Dispense Hill Advice.
2) What's the best pitch you've ever received?
A former colleague pitched me about some inappropriate action in his office. I can’t repeat it, but suffice to say I passed it on to the right people.
3) The greatest words of wisdom an editor ever gave you?
I was told to stop using so many dialogue tags in fiction writing. "Said" should be used more often than "asked," "spoke up" or "added" or any other of those shenanigans.
4) If there was one thing you could tell every PR practitioner, what would it be?
Be nice. I’m amazed how many rude emails I receive when people are pitching op-eds. And follow up. Spam filters and excessive email traffic cause more delays than necessary.
5) What's your craziest or most interesting newsroom story?
Writing Roll Call’s advice column has been interesting -- I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the quality of questions we’ve received. I hope it continues to be a resource for Capitol Hill staff.
6) What sets your page apart from the competition?
I think Roll Call does a great job of knowing its audience. We write for the Capitol Hill community -- including Members and staff -- and it makes a big difference in reporting news that is relevant to your audience.