Sage U Fireside Chat: Ryan McDermott on Lessons from the Receiving End of the News Pitch to the Importance of Time Blocking

At Sage Communications, we’re committed to professional development. This commitment to ensuring our talented employees are engaged and never stop learning is manifested through our Sage U program, an all-learn, all-teach model focused on knowledge sharing. In the second recurrence of our new Sage U Fireside Chat Q&A Series, Senior PR Account Executive Ryan McDermott shared in his entertaining and witty sense of humor,  insights from his previous career  as a journalist and lessons he learned along the way.

Key highlights from the session include:

Q: You’ve been on both sides of the fence – as a journalist for 13 years and as a PR professional in the last 3+ years. What do you think is most misunderstood about each side?

McDermott: There are several aspects of both professions that are easily misunderstood. In my experience of having worked on both sides, journalists and PR professionals feel the need to be advocates for what they are doing. I’ve learned that when you have a relationship with a journalist – one that is friendly of course – there should be room for education on both sides to understand how we best work. Greater empathy and understanding for both professions are key in order to bridge that gap, it also helps to strengthen the rapport.

Q: I imagine that in the time you were a journalist, you lived through many changes. What are some of the biggest challenges that journalists faced in recent years? Where do you see the profession and industry heading?

McDermott: I started my journalism career in college as the editor for the campus newspaper. In 2003, I thought my path after graduation was going to consist of working at a couple of papers and that eventually, I’d end up at the Washington Post or Philadelphia Inquirer working the news desk. But then everything changed while I was in grad school when I learned that the undergraduate journalism program I had just completed, was now making it a requirement for students to learn how to shoot videos in order to graduate as a journalism major. Before, all the program required you to do was learn how to write, but the evolution of the internet changed those requirements when it became more than just a place for people to find information.

News organizations now expect for journalists to possess the skill set and ability to write, shoot videos, edit, take photos, etc., which takes away from the specialization in those areas. The biggest barrier for journalists right now is figuring how to be effective with the resources that they have without jeopardizing credibility. The biggest barrier for journalism over the last 3-4 years has been the fact that the evolution of news reporting has forced editors and reporters to really have to put context with everything. Before, the etiquette was to just be as fair as possible and now the rules of engagement no longer exist and we now have to be able to prove that what this person said is inaccurate.

Q: What do you see as the best piece of advice you have ever received?

McDermott: I have received the same piece of advice from two different people. The first was from my manager at the Quarry House in Silver Spring where I once served as a bartender. I was new to the job and it was a busy night, orders were coming in heavy and I felt overwhelmed and said to myself, “There is no way I can do this.” My manager pulled me aside and said, “Those people will slow everyone else down. If they have a question, direct them to the correct person to answer it, focus on just taking the order slips, make the drinks and set them down. Just get the work done.”

I got this same piece of advice early in my PR career from Sage VP Brian Kelley. I struggled with time management and felt overwhelmed by all the deadlines I needed to meet and one day I went into his office and expressed how I was feeling and he said, “Organize a way to get these done. Block off times if you need to,  and let people know you are working on this and if a client comes in with a request that’s not urgent, leave it be and let them know.”

Time blocking is essential for getting things done effectively and to relieve that feeling of anxiety.  For me, it isn’t a choice, but a priority. I have to do this to continue to have a productive life especially in PR. I’m toast if I don’t have organization skills.

Q: What advice do you have for rising PR professionals as they're navigating their career? 

McDermott: Wherever you are in your career, look for someone there at that company. They don’t have to be senior or superior. They can be anyone who you respect and who does things well. Ask if you can pick their brain or set some time aside. When choosing a mentor, it was almost like picking a grad school for me. I wasn’t as worried about the name or the prestige of the school as I was about the professors who would be teaching me if I attended the school. 

Another piece of advice is to never be afraid to use your voice. Even if you are an intern, without overstepping on your account leads of course, but making an effort to be heard. If you feel that you are not being heard, go to someone you trust to ask them how you can better advocate for yourself. This can be anything from lending your suggestions on the snacks in the snack room to new ideas for PR strategy, your voice is just as important. Learning to take chances is how you grow. From experience, I did not realize that new professionals don’t necessarily have the same professional biases as those that have been in the industry for 20+ years. It can be a lot easier to get fresh and out-of-the-box perspectives from those who don’t yet know the rules.

Q: As a student and lover of history and music (especially jazz, blues, rock), what are some of your favorite books and bands?

McDermott: My favorite music band ever is Sonic Youth and their song “Teenage Riot” also Nirvana and their song “Nevermind.” Check it out! I’ve always had a love for reading. James Baldwin has been my favorite writer since the age of 13; I have never read anything that has as much fire in it. I could go on and on because everything is great, but start with Go Tell It on The Mountain.

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