San Jose, CA 95190-0001
Phone: 408/920-5444
Fax: 408/271-3786
There's nothing more appropriate for a Silicon Valley newspaper than a pitch on new technologies or Web sites, right? Wrong, wrong, wrong, says the San Jose Mercury staff. Editors from this paper need ideas about techie topics as much as Washington needs another scandal. This pitch focus is a huge misconception, says Features Editor Holly Hayes, who is sick of getting calls about hot new sites. Your first step is to open your browser and go to http://www.sjmercury.com. "If a PR person isn't Net savvy, they shouldn't be pitching Silicon Valley," says Hayes,
The popularity of the Web gives PR pros no excuse to say, "I don't get the paper." You'll have to know the newspaper like a San Jose native to keep Hayes on the phone. Every day of the week is a different theme for the features section. Here's a list of whom you should be pitching and on what day: Jeff Thomas, consumer, Monday; Hayes, family, Tuesday; Carolyn Jung, food, Wednesday; Hayes, health and fitness, Thursday; Joan Jackson, home and garden, Friday.
Most editors prefer fax and mail rather than e-mail. Jackson, however, is hearing impaired and needs all pitches by e-mail ([email protected]). Other editors include Zeke Wigglesworth, travel, Marilyn Lewis, books, and David Beck, entertainment. The travel section recently had an article on McArthur-Burney Falls in the Bay Area and in the entertainment section, Staff Writer Broderick Perkins give his thoughts on the best happy hour spots around Silicon Valley.