It's easy to put out a regional ranking (ie. 'best cities for X'), write a cookie-cutter pitch, and mass distribute it to newsrooms around the country. That is NOT what this episode is about. Instead, we're exploring the art of pitching unique data-driven stories that local reporters want to see in their inboxes. Our guest today, Gene Balk, columnist at the Seattle Times, is going to give us the insider scoop on what it takes to stick out from those sea of mediocre pitches and produce local stories that actually matter. 

In this episode, you’ll...

• Get a behind-the-scene glimpse of how a local newspaper column is produced
• Understand the kinds of data local reporters want to cover
• Learn the unique way a company collaborated with a local reporter on survey creation