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Anne Tramer What has helped you rise to the position you hold today? The news has always fascinated me. So I think having an intellectual curiosity and just devouring news [has helped me to get where I am]. My area of expertise is media relations and media generally. I’ve always been very curious about how people consume news, not whether they read it online or in a magazine, but what stories are being told and what angles particular outlets are taking.
- When did your interest in news begin? I grew up in a [San Antonio, Texas] household that always had the news on, CNN, NBC Nightly News and our dinner conversations revolved around what was going on in the world. I started my career in Washington, D.C., handling media relations for a public policy think tank. I thought it was so much fun to call reporters and see what would interest them about whatever study we were doing. So I thought working at a PR agency would allow me to try to make news full time. Later I realized it’s a balance of keeping your clients out of the news as much as trying to get them in the news.
- What have been the guiding principles in your career? You need to be a very good listener and goal oriented, you have to think about what the goal of your message is, what’s the ultimate goal of your storytelling.
- Who influenced you? My grandfather was a big influence on me being interested in the news. In the industry my mentor is Ken Luce, founder of the LDWW Group. Besides ingraining in me being goal-oriented and strategic, a lot of what I learned about people management and team building I learned from him, I like to call it The Ken Luce School of People Management.
- What’s your hiring philosophy and advice to aspiring PR pros? I never hire anyone who doesn’t write a thank-you note. A lot of PR is about follow-through and follow-up. Read. You have to know what’s going on in the news and how different news outlets are telling stories. Get work experience, put in your time and take internships. You’re not credible without experience.
[Anne Tramer was honored during PR News’ Top Women in PR luncheon earlier this year.]
CONTACT: Anne Tramer, [email protected]
This article originally appeared in the June 22, 2015 issue of PR News. Read more subscriber-only content by becoming a PR News subscriber today.