Qwoted 100 PR Superstar: Leah Rogers of Pace Public Relations
Qwoted 100 PR Superstar: Leah Rogers of Pace Publications.
Rogers’ journey at Pace Public Relations is a testament to her dedication and early success within the industry.
Joining as an intern in 2022 with a background in political science and a master’s degree in public policy from Penn State, Leah quickly demonstrated her knack for media relations. Today, as an assistant account executive at Pace, she plays a pivotal role in securing impactful placements for clients across TV, radio, podcasts, and digital platforms.
Qwoted: What do you see as the future of PR—technologically, strategically, or in any category you’re passionate about?
Leah Rogers: Like most people, I believe that social media is the future of PR, but I’m also an optimist. I love traditional journalism and reporting and still believe it will have a prominent role in our future. Therefore, I see PR changing to evolve with the times, but pitching reporters and making relationships with media will still remain at the foundation of PR strategies. Most Gen Zers find their news through social media, BUT a lot of the social media accounts they get their news from are still getting their information from the reporting of prominent news outlets and journalists. We are still consuming news through the diligent reporting of traditional journalism but in a different way.
Qwoted: What do you do that you’re most proud of and that other PRs could learn from?
Rogers: I prioritize having good interactions with the media. Which seems obvious, but I’ve learned from my colleagues that it’s critical to try and be a resource for reporters, producers, etc. — rather than make it a transactional conversation to get a client exposure. When pitching reporters, if you frame your pitch in a way that shows you’re reaching out to offer expert sources for the beat they cover, it sets the ground work for creating long lasting media relationships. Being a PR professional that a reporter can trust and count on will lead to more media exposure for clients. Additionally, doing as much research as possible on the people you are pitching is key.
Qwoted: What’s your toughest challenge with reporters?
Rogers: My biggest challenge with reporters/with PR in general is that as a PR professional, you can do EVERYTHING right, but still not get a response back from a reporter. It can sometimes make me question myself, but I have to remember that sometimes the story I’m trying to tell can easily be lost in a reporters inbox among other trending news stories….especially during a tumultuous election year.
Qwoted: How do you approach breaking through the noise floor to get effective coverage?
Rogers: Newsjacking, newsjacking, and newsjacking! With some clients its easier than others, but it’s always critical to be doing a news scans daily for your clients to see what trending news you can pitch your clients as an expert to speak on.
Qwoted: How does PR in 2024 square with the future of journalism?
Rogers: I think this is incredibly dependent on the client you’re working with and their goals. PR can be anything from events, newsletters, getting a client booked on a podcast, on TV, or quoted as and expert in a major publication. If you were to ask me a year or two ago, I would have told you that influencer marketing was the future of PR, but now there’s a lot of data out there that influencer marketing is over saturated and brands need to do more than just pay an influencer to promote their product/service. Like I said in question 1, I believe that traditional journalism will prevail but how we consume it will change.
Qwoted: What advice would you give to those seeking to find an effective PR person?
Rogers: Find someone who is genuinely passionate about the industry you’re in. For me, I love the mental health and politics space. I consume news in these industries all the time — through podcasts, social media, books, etc. I have a genuine passion for these fields so when I get to work with clients in them, it’s seamless.
Qwoted: What is your golden rule of PR?
Rogers: Slow down. It’s better to get it right than to get it done fast and get it wrong. Messaging is everything in PR. EVERYTHING. Working in media is fast paced, and it’s easy to feel rushed to get the word out on a story, but taking an extra minute for clarification or to read over a pitch again can be so valuable.
Qwoted: What tips do you have for others starting out in PR?
Rogers: Always ask questions! It sounds so simple, but when you’re starting out in any field, it’s normal not to know all the answers. It’s better to ask a colleague to walk you through something, take your time on a project/pitch and to truly get it right.
Leah Rogers is Assistant Account Executive at Pace Public Relations. Email leah@pacepublicrelations.com or connect on LinkedIn.
Lou Carlozo is Qwoted’s editor-in-chief and the editor-publisher emeritus of Talking Biz News. His memoir “The Lost Coin” is slated for publication this year. Email lou@qwoted.com or connect on LinkedIn.
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