Episode 66: How to Pitch and Follow Up with a Journalist with Entertainment Reporter Danielle Broadway (formerly at LA Times)
Do you still find it challenging to pitch and follow up with journalists?
Well, you're not alone. Pitching and following up can be a tricky business.
It's no wonder why many small business founders give up when no one responds to their pitches. Some would choose to pay for agencies to do the pitching instead.
Does that mean then that you should follow that path too?
The quick answer is no. Here's why:
If there's one insight that Small Business PR Podcast has consistently taught, it would be this—you can pitch yourself before journalists.
And yes, there are endless ways to connect with journalists and their audiences.
All it takes is to find inspiration for how you can assemble the different components that make genuinely effective pitches.
More importantly, you don't have to reinvent the wheel.
You need not pay another cent for other agencies to pitch on your behalf.
Instead, take confidence in doing the unconventional yet proven PR strategies that will help you capture the interest of more journalists. That also means understanding how you can help journalists find solutions for their audiences.
Leaning into this PR mindset and practice will distinguish you from other generic brands.
In return, the journalists will help you share your small business with the world.
After all, what matters most is that you have relevant and timely information you can share with the journalist and their audience.
Soon enough, if you consistently do this, pitching and following up with journalists will become a seamless and habitual process for you.
In this episode, we take a deep dive into the minds of what matters most for journalists and their audience when we pitch for our business. Our guest, Danielle Broadway, will walk us through how you can effectively pitch and follow up with journalists.
"One thing that writers are always looking for, especially with products, is timeliness. Is this product something that people are talking about or one that connects to something that people are talking about? Search what is popular right now and find how your product fits into that world."
-Danielle Broadway
Danielle Broadway is a journalist, screenwriter, and activist with bylines in the Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly, Teen Vogue, Cosmopolitan, US Today, and more. She's also been featured in KQed and has been a panelist at San Diego Comic-Con.
If you want to pitch in any industry and confidently follow up with journalists, you should make a move now! Join us in this episode to discover how you can confidently connect with journalists and pitch before them. It's your time to finally be seen, heard, and valued regardless of your industry.
Topics We Cover in This Episode:
Who should receive your pitch: the writer or the editor?
The ins and outs of following up on your pitch
Maximizing relevance and timeliness in your emails
The secrets to creating a compelling pitch story
Insights on writing for diversity and inclusivity
If you want to land your first feature for free without any connections, I want to invite you to watch my PR Secrets Masterclass where I reveal the exact methods thousands of bootstrapping small businesses use to hack their own PR and go from unknown to being a credible and sought-after industry expert. Register now at www.gloriachou.com/masterclass.
Resources Mentioned:
Connect with Gloria Chou on LinkedIn: Gloria Chou
Join Gloria Chou's PR Community: Small Biz Pros: By Gloria Chou
Connect with Danielle Broadway on Twitter: Danielle Broadway
Follow Danielle Broadway on Instagram: @dbroadwaywrites
Additional Resources:
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Here’s a glance at this episode…
[05:15] Editors probably are the most powerful in this game because they control which content goes in and which content doesn't. If you can pitch an editor, that's great. But again, they're limited to that one publication, whereas freelancers have their pick of the world.
[09:31] When you're thinking about who to contact, I would try to reach out to the editor, writer, and whoever's covering the story. You'll want everybody to have eyes on it to consider it.
[10:21] Always remember, if you're doing a follow-up, post, or share any new updates or anything, you can sneak in another angle if you want to in those follow-ups.
[20:48] I would start by saying pay attention to the time of the year and current events. As readers, they're going to be looking for coverage that coordinates to what's going on.
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Danielle Broadway 0:00
This is definitely the era of this TikTok trend or, yeah, like if you drop a celebrity and things like that. So all those things can work because one thing that writers are always looking for, especially with products is timeliness. Is this product something that people are talking about? I would say search what is popular right now and find how your product fits into that world. And think of headlines that connect. Try to think of something that's very unique, that a thousand other companies brands aren't already pitching or already writing in their subject line.
Gloria Chou 0:36
Hey, friends, I'm Gloria Chou, small business PR expert, award winning pitch writer and your unofficial hype woman. Nothing makes me happier than seeing people get the recognition they deserve. And that starts with feeling more confident to go bigger with your message. So on this podcast, I will share with you the untraditional, yet proven strategies for PR, marketing, and creating more opportunity in your business. If you are ready to take control of your narrative and be your most unapologetic and confident self, you're in the right place. This is the Small Business PR podcast. What's up everyone, I'm so excited to have the one and only Danielle Broadway on our show. Now Danielle is a staff entertainment writer at Reuters, and an activist with byline in the LA Times, LA Weekly, Teen Vogue, Cosmo, USA Today. But what's even more important is that she has worked in all areas of journalism. She's written gift guides, she's written for beauty and fashion. And we're gonna dive into it right now is that you can learn how to pitch regardless of what industry you're in. So welcome to the show.
Danielle Broadway 1:35
Oh, thank you so much, Gloria, I'm so happy to be here.
Gloria Chou 1:38
Now, the reason why I connected with you is because you really have this mission, right? Where you want to elevate the stories of diverse founders who are doing business through the lens of justice. So can you tell me a little bit about who are your favorite founders to cover and why it's so important to you?
Danielle Broadway 1:53
Well, I love founders that have a bigger mission behind you know, whatever they're covering, so be that a social justice mission. That means inclusivity, that means maybe doing something that's eco friendly, people who are passionate about whatever they're getting behind, because if they're not passionate about it, how can I or any other writer kind of join them in that love and admiration for the product or, you know, industry that they're in?
Gloria Chou 2:22
Right. No, I love that we have this exactly why you and I are from the same cloth because we really live to elevate the voices of diverse founders. So I love that you're in good company here. So I know you've you know, have a really long extensive experience in journalism, can you kind of run through the areas you've covered the places you've written for, and your general experience in journalism and media?
Danielle Broadway 2:45
Sure, I generally cover everything except for cars, because I know nothing about those. But I love a combination of topics, be it lifestyle, and beauty. I love writing about gardening and ecology, and of course, entertainment, and pretty much the things that sort of intersect with those things. So like activism, but sometimes I'll write about activism and hair, or activism and entertainment, and all of those things that kind of around that line. And I really, really love, you know, compiling things like gift guides and product lineups, and things that help people choose from a array of selections and kind of better fun and playful and give them some ideas about their own fashion.
Gloria Chou 3:31
Yeah, that's amazing. I mean, it's such an oyster, right? There are so many different opportunities for founders to get featured, whether it's product or business, service based business. So just break it down for me a little bit for the people who are listening, they're new to PR, what are the differences between some of the things that you'll see like a staff writer versus an editor or a contributor or freelancer? What do we need to know as founders when we're pitching to different types of writers?
Danielle Broadway 3:58
Right. First, I want to say this is tricky. So you can read an article from a website and see an author and say, oh, that's a writer for them, I'm gonna find their email, which is a great start. But sometimes that writer is a freelancer, or their staff, or they're an editor. So it's kind of going to play an important role figuring out which one, I worked as a freelancer for quite some time. And I know that even when I love a story, sometimes I can't cover it, even after pitching to a few different places. Because as a freelancer, you're not staffed. You're not emailing somebody that actually works for that publication. So when an editor sees them pitch, they're kind of like, oh, get a staff writer to cover and so that freelancer might get bumped for someone else, or something else, you know, for a different topic. Whereas if you pitch a staff writer, then they might have a little bit more influence because they're on the payroll and they can kind of say, hey, to the editor that they work with every day, I would like to cover this. And that kind of relationship will continue, not to knock freelancers, because I'll tell you one thing, we defy odds. So sometimes we're really passionate, and we can pitch to a bunch of outlets, that staff writer can only pitch to their outlet. And then editors probably are the most powerful in this game, because they control which content goes in and which content doesn't. So if you can pitch an editor, that's great. But again, they're limited to that one publication, whereas freelancers have their pick, pick of the world. So it's really important to remember those things. And don't be afraid to ask someone, I think generally, as writers, we want to be very honest, and say, hey, I will try to pitch this or hey, I can get this. So don't be afraid.
Gloria Chou 5:45
So freelancers and contributors, they're not on staff. So they it's like a, it's like a second level of pitching where you pitch them, and then they, they pitch to the publication. Whereas if you pitch someone who's on staff, that's only one level of pitching.
Danielle Broadway 5:59
Right. Because no matter what the writers have to go through the editors. So whether it's freelance or staff writer, they're gonna have to send an email or make a call to the editor and say, hey, does this sound cool, but the editor is going to have the final choice.
Gloria Chou 6:15
Now, what about the kind of levels of pitching? Is it okay to pitch the editor and their staff report at the same time? Are you going to know that I pitched you or it's fine because you get hundreds of emails and it's not really a big deal?
Danielle Broadway 6:27
That's a really good question. I would say there's no harm in pitching both. Because sometimes editor, they get the most emails, they get the most pitches. So editors are overwhelmed. So even if they end up loving, loving your product or pitch, they might completely miss it. Whereas staff writer, they might not have as many pitches. So they're like, oh, I found this, I'm gonna bring it to my editor. And then editor can either say, oh, I like this. Or they might even look back and their emails and say, oh, I glanced at this, and I almost missed it. So go ahead and do both, I would say, you know, don't get carried away. Like, if you find lots of emails from one publication, just limit it to maybe three at the most just because, that might feel a little bit hounding for people. But I think that's safe to say.
Gloria Chou 7:17
Yeah, I love it. So you're not like all whispering like, oh, I got this email. Did you get that email? You got way bigger fish to fry, and you're very busy. Yeah, I mean, I love that. I think that's one of the because we love busting, limiting beliefs here at GCPR. And you just told me and you validated it, because you're actually a writer that it's okay to pitch to multiple writers, as long as you do it intentionally, and you know that they cover your beat. But here's another thing that I noticed, as someone who you know, is a pure expert, having hacked it on my own, is that a lot of times the editors aren't really going to be the one writing your story, because they're busy, like managing the team and, you know, managing the calendar. So do you almost feel like it's better to build the relationship with a staff writer than like an editor who's like, super high up and is really overwhelmed and busy?
Danielle Broadway 8:04
I mean, I think that there is value in both. But yeah, go ahead. And if you can start with that writer, and especially because the writer is probably going to be the biggest advocate or to the editor. So if they really love your idea, or they love working with you, or both, then they'll probably be a little bit more determined to pitch the editor. And I guess it's probably a balance of both, because it's, it's good to have as many people on your radar as possible. So if you kind of have communicated even just a little bit with the editor, and they're like, oh, I noticed, so and so or, then that's great. I think that's, you don't need to go passed that. And then, the rest of the work should go towards having those writers that are really enthusiastic about working with you. Because like you said, yeah, they're going to be writing the story. And that's probably the most important part of the mission.
Gloria Chou 9:02
Yeah, and building that relationship. So another question I have is, you know, you've done the gift guides, the beauty that you commerce, entertainment, very different types of pitches. Do you think it's the same across the board in terms of like, who you should contact first, like editor versus contributor writer? Is it different for e-commerce and gift guide versus, let's say entertainment?
Danielle Broadway 9:22
Ooh, that's a good, it's a good question. So I would say, kind of similar to my other one when you're thinking about who to contact, I would try to reach out to editor and writer or editor, and whoever's covering the story. Because I think even just within a ray of like coverage, you still want kind of that main honcho, or head honcho, who's the editor to have their eyes on it. And I hope that answers your question like, pretty well, just kind of similarly, you'll want everybody to have eyes on it to consider it. And, again, that maintaining a relationship with the writer is what you'll probably want to have in your back pocket.
Gloria Chou 10:14
Yeah, so maybe the first round of pitching is pitch, a pitch a wide net. And then as you do your follow up, like be more intentional.
Danielle Broadway 10:21
Right, exactly. And also, you know, always remember, if you're doing a follow up, post or share any updates, or any anything, you can kind of sneak in another angle if you want to. And those follow ups, say, oh, man, I forgot to put that this is perfect for the summer. Like, I forgot, yeah. And just make sure you take advantage of those follow up moments and not repeat the exact same thing, or else it probably won't be as eye catching as you're hoping.
Gloria Chou 10:55
Exactly. So this is exactly my next question is the journey, the follow up, because it's already a lot of, it takes a lot of courage, right, for small business owners who are listening to even press the first send button. But I know that the beauty is in the follow up, you know this as well, because you write a lot of stories, and you need to be reminded, what is the right way to follow up? And how can we use social media to leverage that and kind of nurture that relationship?
Danielle Broadway 11:18
I would say keep the follow up short, but succinct and make sure that you first kind of remind them or reintroduce, like, what is the hook for this product if it's a product. So kind of, like I said before, if it's like, oh, this is the perfect sunscreen, make sure that you kind of hooked that in there, and also book, what your angle would be. Like, oh, this would be great in a gift guide or, oh, we're getting towards the holidays, now, maybe not for sunscreen. But we're getting towards the holidays. How about this small candle? Things like that, where the editor or writer will be like, oh, that's true. We are getting our list together. And social media, that's an interesting one. Because I don't get too many interactions there. Sometimes, it's, I'd say it's a good sign, because what I like to do is if someone pitches me, and maybe I haven't had the time to respond, it's been a while, but I'm just so busy. I will try to find their their page on social media. And I will try to follow it. And sometimes I'll be like, I don't, I don't know if they see this, but it's my way of indicating like, hey, I like this product. Or even if I can't follow it for this, or I can't take it for this article. It usually means oh, I really want to cover this. And I'm going to try to come back to it for another story. So I would say don't, what you don't want to do with social media and follow ups is a lot of writers don't like DMs. They don't like because that it really depends on the writers.
Gloria Chou 12:57
I heard that LinkedIn is more accepting.
Danielle Broadway 13:00
Yeah, yeah, LinkedIn is good. And I do get some people message me on LinkedIn, about their either story or a product. And I think that's fine. Yeah, I think that if you're gonna go social media route, LinkedIn is the place. Not to say that, I have had social media, like, Instagram, Twitter messages. And me personally, I don't mind because sometimes, just people can't find your email. But I also know that there's a lot of writers who are just like, no, if you message me on social media, I will not work with you at all. So I guess just be who you are.
Gloria Chou 13:36
I think that's right. Because they would actually put that on there.
Danielle Broadway 13:39
Right. Yeah, a lot of people do that. And which, yeah, definitely keep an eye on those. Just to make sure, but I think that for the most part, yeah, LinkedIn, email, those are the places to go. And then I guess if all else fails, and you're like, I just can't figure out how to get in contact with them. And there's no disclaimer saying, please don't, you know, DM me, then I say go for it, send the Twitter message. Because I have done that so many times in my life, and I'm like, wow, I'm so glad I did that. And I'm so glad that they weren't, they were so open and they were so like, oh thanks for reaching out. So just try and trial and error is what I recommend.
Gloria Chou 14:21
I always say for my PR center pack students, everything you want is on the other side of the send button. I know that journalist, as a journalist, you're not going to respond to every email, but it's just a matter of sending that pitch. You never know, if it's one week or one month down the line, you're tasked in the best story, you go back into your inbox and you do a search, right? Am I right?
Danielle Broadway 14:43
Yes, definitely.
Gloria Chou 14:45
You know, I think so in terms of follow up, do you recommend following up every, like, what's the spacing it out, maybe seven days apart. So like first email, and then like, maybe refreshing the angle and then sending it again in seven to 10 days?
Danielle Broadway 14:57
Yes, I think that's a great time window being has kind of like I said before, as writers, we get so many pitches and so many emails. So sometimes like for myself, I'm like, oh my god, I promise everybody I'm coming like, and it takes me time to on top of my other work to go through all the emails. Because I guess this is rare because of course, as many of the people you work with probably know, some people never respond. And I've learned especially as a freelancer who sent pitches myself, that it's usually it's never really personal. It's just people have so many emails that they're like, I will go crazy if I try to respond to each of them. But personally, I try to get back to people because I know how that feels. You might be doubting yourself like, oh, man, this is a horrible pitch, or is this as a product look bad. So I'll usually say to people like, Oh, thank you for sending this to me, it doesn't fit for what I'm working on now. But I want to consider something for the future or something like that. And just so people know that they do have something worthy of consideration. And but definitely give people that time window for following up. Because I also have heard writers get kind of grumpy because they're like, this person is already like you kind of feels pestering. And that's definitely not what you want to do is to make people feel overwhelmed or like you're, you're desperate. Which again, as as freelancers, we have to learn that too. Or it's like, oh, man, I really want to cover this. But I also can't send this person, you know, a ton of follow-ups in a short span of time.
Gloria Chou 16:37
I mean, a ton of follow ups is not good. But I think if you follow up every week, and if you refresh your subject lines, I think, you know, it's like showing relevancy. Now, let's go back to the hack, which you said works, which is you send an email, it doesn't, it gets open, but you know, it doesn't, nothing happens. And then boom, we're in like, a different season. Like fall season, do you change the subject line on the same email for him or you do a completely new email?
Danielle Broadway 17:01
Um, I would say, do a completely new email, because that will go to the top of someone's inbox. That will go to the top. And especially like, again, as freelancers, we have to time our emails as well. So especially if you send that pretty early in the morning. So when that, because yeah, when that person starts their workday, you want your email on top, and your, your fresh, shiny email, and like you said, if it's a different season, then you're definitely going to want to have a fresh angle for whatever the product is.
Gloria Chou 17:36
Yeah, I mean, we're always in between two worlds and two seasons, right? So arguably, right now, at the time of recording, it's August, you know, I could say, oh, well, you know, this is what I pitch you for summer skincare, and now we're getting into the fall. So how do you maintain that summer glow? Right? So I think, I think it's not too much of a stretch to always feel like you can refresh your angles, because there's always so much happening. Can you give me another way to make the email or subject line more appealing? Like, how do we add urgency? Can we name drop, like a celebrity that maybe wore this trend? Like, what are some interesting ways to get noticed?
Danielle Broadway 18:09
Yeah, so I mean, this is definitely the era of this TikTok trend like if you drop a celebrity and things like that. So all those things can work. Because one thing that writers are always looking for, especially with products is timeliness. Is this product something that people are talking about? Or one that connects us, something that people are talking about, like, I guess, one of the trends of the year is like Barbiecore. So even if you don't have like clothes, if you have like a pink product, and embrace your embrace your inner Barbiecore. Things that play off of what people are kind of searching. So definitely, even if your product is your own original product. I would say search what is popular right now and find how your product fits into that world and think of headlines that connect and I always like things that are playful and I think a lot of especially beauty writers, they like that kind of stuff, because they want things that people are going to be very excited about. So if you pick generics, like it's so moisturizing, it's like well, I mean, that's good. But a lot of things are moisturizing, a lot of products are. So try to think of something that's very unique that 1000 other companies brands aren't already pitching or already writing in their subject lines.
Gloria Chou 19:36
Yeah, I always say in my masterclass, it's kind of like peeling away the layer of an onion. Everyone can feel the first layer, which is very general, you know, like, reasons why you should use moisturizer this winter, but can get into the ingredients, or maybe some, like a different ingredient. Like one time I had someone who does adaptogenic mushroom elixir. So she's in she's doing like combining food with beauty. So that's really interesting, right? Because like, that's something new. So I love what you said there as well. And also, if you feel like you don't have anything new, and again, no one has the groundbreaking thing that is completely unknown to the species of humankind, right? So everything is a remix. It's just about what is the relevance piece. How is it tying to like whether, you know, the hot topic is sustainability or whatever it is. I love that you validated that, too. So on the topic of relevance, right, this is the most important part, as you know, is what I teach in my masterclass. How do people find that relevance? And how do they know if it's relevant enough? Because for me to pitch something about sustainability, it's still very general, it's still very top layer the onion. So can you give me give me an idea about what stories about, for example, sustainability would be more interesting to you versus just a very general one about sustainability?
Danielle Broadway 20:49
I guess I would start by saying, pay attention to the time of the year, and of course, current events, right. So, for instance, certain, like around Earth Day, and things like that, I'm always looking for a sustainability story. Personally, these are always relevant stories. But readers, they're going to be looking for coverage that coordinates to what's going on. And I would say also, if there is that kind of angle, and it's not, I guess, it's not necessarily about saying, like, oh, we save the world more with our product or something like that, but rather thinking of a different, like, a way to approach it. And that can be either some places are like, oh, we generally give to like this organization. Well, find an organization that's very near and dear to your heart, and say something about that. Say why this means so much to your brand. And I think that takes you a little bit away from the generic, it's not just oh, they save trees, which is great. But also, this mean so much, because like indigenous forests were were destroyed at one point, and we're replanting, and recreating. Things like that, I guess for me, as a writer, I'm like, yes, like, there's, there's something bigger, you know, that you're telling me. And, and also, I think the problem with a lot of pitches are, they have these really cool claims. And that's great. But also, don't be afraid to show people like what the impact of that is, if you can, whether it's through, talking to people that you've worked with, and say, oh, because we have the sustainability of this product, this person was able to reuse something or, like, I love when certain products maybe come with, like, even seeds that people can plant to help with sustainability. Here are some of the things that we grow. So those are just kind of things I've seen before where I'm like, oh this is different. This is not just them saying, oh, we give to this charity, and buy this. Because I think a lot of places can do that, and it's good. But what more can you either say, because not everyone has all the resources to be like, hey, look at all this cool stuff. But what stories can we tell that speak to this significance? And then also, what can we do?
Gloria Chou 23:13
Yeah, I love that. I mean, I think more and more media and journalism and activism are going hand in hand. It's never just a beauty product. It's never just a yoga mat. It's something else, right? So I definitely think that as founders become more confident and knowing that they're not just selling a product, right? They're doing so much more than that. And that comes through in their messaging. And that's, that's really, what I try to do in my business is to remind people of their why. Right? It's not just you're selling yoga mat, you're giving people mobility, you're giving people their life back, you know. So, I love, I love what you said about that. Let's go on to the actual email body of the pitch. What do you like to see lengthwise, attachments, offering samples? What's a, what's a really good way to really kind of write a simple email that gets your attention?
Danielle Broadway 23:57
Um, so I usually say get to the point pretty quickly. So a lot of times we as writers will, I mean, well of course, read through, but if we have, like paragraphs and paragraphs, then at that point it gets kind of taxing. And I think, yeah, for a lot of people, they're familiar with keeping it kind of short. And then, yeah, I'm a firm believer in offering images and samples, because a lot of the times people are hesitant to write about a product that they haven't tried before, because it's like, oh, how can you speak to the quality? And how can you speak to the everything, like the packaging the quality, but also, I, depending on how large or small a company is, that might not be realistic. So in that case, I would just think of ways like, okay, what can we do? Like, can we show them a video of the product? Like, does that help? Something that can get people as close as they can to having a good idea of what, what it's like? And then what I also like, is ingredients, like, if we're talking beauty, especially, you know, like TikTok and YouTube and all that good stuff. Like they have their breakdowns of like, oh, these are the ingredients we're looking for right now. And, and people are going to be wanting to see like, okay, do they have things that are going to be moisturizing? Like, what does this do? So, that's what I like to see, like, what is the end result? Like, is this going to help smooth out texture, texture skin? Or is it going to help like, with the porosity of the hair? Or things like that, things that are speaking to the results. And then of course, kind of going back to that mission, like, okay, what are we trying to say? Do we want to say something like, oh, we're helping with self confidence, right? Like, have these, have your curls, bouncing, because you should feel confident, because people currently here are sometimes not seen as, as beautiful, or something like that. And I think that you pretty much have what you need. At that point, sometimes we will go into tangents, like side stories, or things like that, where I'm like, it might even be really cute. But at the same time, you probably will lose your reader or lose the person considering the pitch.
Gloria Chou 26:29
So what's the ideal length? And how many seconds do you actually spend scanning it?
Danielle Broadway 26:33
Oh, goodness. So that's, that's a hard one for me to say. But I would say like, try to have at the very most like three short paragraphs. And then if you like, have the, the images of the product may be short, just descriptions. And that's what I generally see. So I would keep that in mind. And I'd also say that for me, oh, I honestly do, I probably read more than most do. Because I like to kind of get the general idea like, okay, this is what the brand is called, this is what they're doing. Look at product description. So if you kind of answered those things, then I think you're in a good place.
Gloria Chou 27:22
Yeah, I love that. Woof. So good. I hope anyone who is doing and listening to this episode, if you're driving or walking your dog, come back, because the last five minutes was like, boom, like PR, masterclass material. So, thank you so much for forgiving us exactly how to write email subject lines, you've given us so many gems. I want to talk about what the work you're doing now, which I think is really important. Which is, you know, entertainment representation. Can you tell me a little bit about kind of the stories you want to cover? And being someone who is seeing all the stories, how is representation in media and journalism changing?
Danielle Broadway 28:00
Yeah, we see from all aspects of Hollywood that there is a nature of gatekeeping. So when it comes to not just acting, but for writing and producing and either and doing costumes, and hair and casting, there is there are limited opportunities for people who aren't white and men. And I really am passionate about writing about those stories. So whether it's people who aren't getting access to the jobs in the industry, and need mentorship, or it's the people who are dealing with these toxic fandoms, we've seen actors of color getting casted and then all of a sudden people are furious because they're not a white actor or something like that. And I really want to kind of say, hey, who's going to hold Hollywood accountable? And what are the bigger problems at play? You know, at times it's racism and sexism and it's ableism, it's anti blackness, things that we see at the core of these. And they trickle into Hollywood. And I'm interested in getting the voices of those talent. And also making sure that there is an avenue in entertainment that's not just about the glitz and the glamour, because a lot of people see it as fluff. But I'm like, well, maybe, but also this is people's lives and they impact who is on screen. And when are, when kids and even adults see who's on screen. And that has an influence. How different cultures are depicted different stories? Are they authentic or are they imagined? Are they stereotyped? All of those things, where I'm just like, I really want to make sure that these stories are being handled with love and authenticity.
Gloria Chou 29:51
Oh, my God, your words resonate with my soul. I'm so happy that you're here. And that we connected because I'm so aligned in that way as well. It's, we all got to do our part, right to rewrite the narrative, and you're doing your part and being a vehicle of change. So amazing props to you, I'm cheering you on for the work that you're doing. I know, as an Asian American woman, I don't really see much of myself in any space. So especially now I'm teaching people how to get into the media. It's kind of like, huh, but that's the work we got to do, right? We got to build our own table. If the table is not ready for us to sit at and then we can invite other people to our table. So looking ahead, like what, what kind of stories are you most interested in or resonating with, like, either now or that you're looking to write in the future?
Danielle Broadway 30:37
Yeah, so like what I mentioned with mentorship, I love that we're seeing more production companies that are founded by people of color by women, by queer creators, I want to write about what they're doing. And I also want to showcase like, stories that should have been told a long time ago, but are now just getting their time in the sun. And I love shows like Abbott Elementary, like that's my, my latest. I mean, I shouldn't say latest, but I've just been obsessing over that show. And I'm just like, yes, give it all its flowers, because it's talking about diversity, education, and so many important things. And I look forward to telling stories about different communities of fans as well. So communities of bands that don't get the attention that they deserve, that are really passionate about the shows. And then I guess the list can go on and on. There's certain shows that are being canceled that are represent like, beautifully representing people of color. And it's like, why does this happen? So definitely I want to delve into those questions and get to the root of them.
Gloria Chou 31:46
Oh, I love that I look forward to following your writing as you do is amazing work. Thank you so much for giving us like such an extensive look at not only media representation, but the nitty gritties of how to write an email. I feel like this is an episode that people will have to come back to over and over. I know I've, I'm going to come back to and take a lot of notes. So I'm really excited for everyone to hear this. How can people find you and connect with you or support your work?
Danielle Broadway 32:11
Uh, yeah. So on my social media, like Twitter, Instagram, and all that good stuff. I'm @BroadwayWrites. And pretty much like, you can find me on those, those platforms, and also as a staff writer at Reuters. Pretty soon, I will have my staff page established so you can see what I'm up to and what my latest articles are.
Gloria Chou 32:39
Yay. Thank you so much for your time. I really appreciate you.
Danielle Broadway 32:42
I appreciate you too, Gloria. Thank you.
Gloria Chou 32:45
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