We recently sat down with Katie Chodosh, Definition’s Head of Media Relations, to learn more about her career and hear her thoughts on how media relations has evolved.
From landing impactful coverage in major outlets to her advice on keeping up with industry trends, Katie shares valuable insights for those interested in media relations – whether you’re just starting out or already well-established in the profession.
Could you share a bit about your background – your education and early work experience?
“I grew up in North London and went to school there. I then went to Leeds Metropolitan University to study speech and language therapy to become a speech and language therapist, but decided that the healthcare route wasn’t for me. I still wanted to work in communications, so I got an internship in the marketing and communications department of a local charity and moved into PR from there. After that, I joined a cybersecurity PR agency and have mostly worked in PR agencies ever since.
“I joined Definition after moving to Cape Town, where I worked in what was then TopLine’s office. I lived there for around three years, and then when I came back to the UK, I transferred over to the London office.”
How has media relations changed since you started your career?
“When I started, there were more journalists and outlets to pitch to – traditional media has downsized since then. But we’ve also seen a massive increase in news influencers, content creators, podcasters, Substack editors, LinkedIn influencers and others who communicate on platforms outside mainstream media. So, besides traditional media, we now pitch to them. They didn’t exist when I first started in media relations, so the type of people that we pitch to is probably what has changed the most.”
How do you keep up-to-date with trends and changes in media relations?
“I keep reading and engaging with the news and social media. In the same way that authors read books differently – you’re looking for something different. You’re looking for who wrote it and why – what’s the hook, who’s the source and how it was packaged. You have to keep reading, engaging with, watching or listening to publications, podcasts or newsletters – whatever you or your client want to be in. You have to keep reading them to understand what’s going to work, because what works changes.
“Of course, there are fundamentals for what makes a story, but the way that you package and pitch it changes over time. You get the best sense of that when you’re reading and observing it for yourself, and also by speaking to your media contacts who can give you a bit of insight. But yeah, the main thing is to just keep reading.”
Is there a book that you would recommend to aspiring media relations experts?
“Airhead: The Imperfect Art of Making News by Emily Maitlis. If you want to know what makes a story, this is the book to read.”
What should someone new to media relations focus on first?
“Focus on the news – get to grips with the publications that you’re going to pitch to, so that you get a better sense of the type of stories that they pick up.”
What qualities make a great media relations professional?
“You need to be fairly thick-skinned. A really good story doesn’t always end up getting coverage; there’s a lot outside of your control.
“You need to be confident. Believe in yourself and know that you’re doing all you can to make a good story. Trust that the timing will align at a certain point, and you’ll get the coverage that you’re looking for.
“And you need to be fairly sociable. Be willing to talk to new people or strangers. This is a skill that you build over time, but you need to be willing to develop it in the first place. If that’s not something you want to do, media relations might not be the right fit for you.”
What’s the best piece of advice that you’ve received in your career that you’d like to pass on?
“The story is in the problem, not the solution. Clients will tell you that the story is their solution, but you need to understand the problem they’re solving first. If the problem doesn’t really exist, or isn’t interesting, it’s probably not going to go anywhere.
“So, look for the problem and ask, ‘Is this interesting?’ If there’s no problem, there isn’t really a solution.”
Can you share a few career highlights?
“I’ve secured coverage for clients on BBC World Service, BBC Click, BBC, the Financial Times and the top trades. But, in media relations, you can get trapped into living and dying by the last bit of coverage that you secure.
“I prefer to think about the best campaigns and stories that you’ve drawn out. We’ve delivered some lovely campaigns at Definition around the gender health gap, online safety, our shopping habits, the circular economy and more. These went on to get lots of coverage – but the impressive bit to me is the idea behind the campaign. The hard bit is coming up with a really good idea that eventually leads to coverage.
“I’m also really proud of the team we’ve built here. There are now four of us in the media relations team. When I started, there were only two of us. So that’s a 100% increase, I believe, if my maths is correct! In my experience, having a dedicated media relations team is a real point of difference compared to other agencies.”
What has been your favourite project to work on, and why?
“We do lots of good projects, but I really liked working with Neil Taylor, who decided – on a whim – to use ChatGPT when it had first come out, to write a maternity leave job application for a writer position at Definition. I worked closely with him to plan when the story should go out and getting it pitched with my media relations team.
“We had to move super fast with it, because it was just as ChatGPT had gotten big. It was a great idea at exactly the right time, and led to a lot of coverage. It was especially satisfying as it was for Definition, and doing PR for your own company is often more challenging, as you’re usually so focused on your clients.”
Can you share a specific case study where your media relations strategy had a direct measurable impact on a business?
“I’ve heard anecdotally when we’ve gotten coverage for clients in really high-profile business publications – like BBC or WIRED – that afterwards, at networking events or meetings, people had mentioned seeing them featured. For example, we had a health tech client who had an investor from Walgreens get in touch after they were featured in WIRED. But that is rare.
“The best and most measurable results come when we work closely with our digital team, marrying up B2B SEO and social strategies with what we’re doing with PR. I’ve seen our clients rank higher for key search terms as a direct result of our digital and PR teams working closely together, and it’s a very satisfying, and measurable, result.”
Are there any common myths around media relations you’d like to debunk?
“I can’t force a journalist to write something; they’re not obligated to cover a story just because we have a good relationship.
“Having strong relationships with journalists is good and helpful, but ultimately, if the story isn’t there, they won’t write it. That’s the reality. That’s why I spend so much time working on the story, because I don’t want to damage the relationships I have by giving them stories that aren’t good. If I consistently pitched weak stories, I’d lose credibility very quickly.
“Personal relationships alone cannot guarantee coverage. That might be relevant in other areas of PR, but for B2B PR – where my experience is – that’s not the case.”
How can media relations experts use AI, and how do you see it shaping the future of the industry?
“AI is helpful if you give it the right prompt. It can help find a news hook, identify the most interesting parts of your story or suggest strong e-mail subject lines and headlines.
“I don’t think AI will replace media relations as such – but we can and should use it to make pitches better, so it’s relevant to the audience you’re sending it to.”
If you could work with any company, which one would it be and why?
“Reddit. They have an absolute treasure trove of data!”
If you had to sum up your career philosophy in one sentence, what would it be?
“Stay curious. If you’re curious about what you’re pitching or trying to get out there, you’re likely to find the story and make it more interesting. You can train yourself to find things more interesting by fully immersing yourself in it.
“Curiosity is also a good cure for anxiety. Approaching your work with curiosity – asking plenty of questions, revisiting your ideas, and understanding the ‘why’ behind your strategy – can really help ease any stress or uncertainty you’re feeling.”
What advice would you give to companies looking to land press coverage?
“Be open and willing to talk about the problem that you’re solving and the problems that exist in your industry. Be willing to speak about the negative and put your head above the parapet. If all you want to do is talk about your product and your solution, then PR probably isn’t for you – and that’s fine.
“But if you genuinely want to do media relations, then listen to your PR partners. There are a bunch of elements that go into making a full story. If you’re willing to engage with all of them, you’ll get good stuff.
“But also remember that slow and steady wins the race. It’s rare to be featured on the BBC straightaway. Typically, there’s a lot of groundwork involved: building a profile in trade media and raising visibility on platforms like LinkedIn. That’s all necessary to build you up to those bigger opportunities. Be patient and listen to your PR partners.”
Need a media relations expert? Chat to Katie and the team