3600 New York Avenue, NE
Washington, D.C. 200021996; Phone: 202/6363000
Editor's Note: The Washington Times is generally considered a conservative newspaper and is seen as The Washington Post's nemesis. But if the friendliness of the editors and reporters who work at a particular newspaper say anything about the operation's credibility and your needs - as a PR practitioner - to get them on your good side, then The Washington Times is worth its weight in gold. These editors were among the most open we've encountered and told us that most PR professionals need to be doing their jobs better.
| Section |
Features There's a huge sampling of news which falls under the features category - anything from food and garden stories to medical and health updates. |
| Editors | Features Editor: Judith Kreiner, Phone: 202/6363215 |
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Days To Contact/ Days To Avoid |
News should be mailed at least two weeks in advance to allow for ample planning and features scheduling. Unlike general news, features staffers aren't driven by the same kind of breakingnews frenzy. |
| Methods | Kreiner absolutely and positively wants news to come to her by general mail. She frowns on email and faxes. Pitches shouldn't be more than two pages: Kreiner calls anything beyond that "selfindulgent." |
| Comments | Kreiner, without a doubt, ranks in our Top 3 list for editors who are frank and accessible without being snooty. Her advice is sage: "PR people need to know we run a tightly focused section about people oriented events in the Washington (from Richmond, Va., to Philadelphia) area." |
| Section |
Lifestyle News here - which doesn't fall under a specific section but appears in various places - can hit on anything from the funky to the conventional. |
| Editors | Assistant Features Editor: Marlene Johnson, Phone: 202/6363163, Fax: 202/832-2235 |
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Days To Contact/ Days To Avoid |
Any day between Monday and Wednesday is OK, but avoid Thursday which is deadline day. Fridays are also fine. |
| Methods | Johnson wants to receive a pitch by fax or mail and isn't particularly interested in followup calls. She points out that "If it catches our eyes, you won't need to call us - we'll call you." |
| Comments | Like Kreiner, Johnson was frank about what she needs: news that's relevant to the paper's circulation area and provides editorial staffers a chance to write something that goes beyond the news angle. She wants tidbits which reveal people's lifestyle choices that provide a window into emerging trends. |