Introducing Qwick Takes Live

Full disclosure (and as a reporter, I believe in full disclosure): While I’m the Editor In Chief of Qwoted, I’ve been known to make source requests on ProfNet simultaneously. It’s a solid service and works as a supplement to Qwoted when I’m after super elusive sources who live on grubs and hide in caves. Buuuuut…

It can only do so much—and HARO, I might add, even less. Full disclosure, part deux: I don’t like HARO. As reporter sourcing tools go, it’s as clear as mud and unwieldy as a mud pie chucked in a thunderstorm. And how about that interface? One step removed from the greenscreen era, I’d say. Anywaaaaay….

I was a Qwoted evangelist long before I landed here as EIC. Qwoted is far and away unique compared to all other source platforms. The team tries things none of its competitors want to or think to do. Helping their users, for starters. It also continues to roll out features and products for reporters chasing deadlines. Try them out if you haven’t: We’ve built an expert database, direct messaging capabilities, and a Source Request feature that delivers relevant experts every time, thanks to AI/NLP tech.

Now comes Qwick Takes Live, a series of webinars that illuminate issues crucial to the news community. What’s it all about? Read on. 

A quick take on Qwick Takes Live

Qwick Takes Live is an outgrowth of Qwick Takes, which you can read more about here. In a nutshell, Qwick Takes is a “rapid perspective” mechanism that invites vetted experts to share their views on breaking news items. It’s free to respond to the weekly expert source request – no pitch credit needed. The commentary is published on the popular news site Talking Biz News. (We also forward our experts’ insights to relevant reporters in and outside the Qwoted network to maximize potential coverage.)

Qwick Takes Live advances that mission because it allows for deeper interaction—among the panelists and through audience Q&A. Guests not only share their insights; they also work out new ones in real-time. On Sept. 21, we aired “ESG Investing: Trends, Challenges & Opportunities,” moderated by U.S. News & World Report investing reporter Paulina Likos. For this web summit, I played a fly on the wall (an apt metaphor given how some might label me an insect), and have to tell you, I was impressed.

Why? For starters, I’ve been writing about ESG on an in-depth level for Reuters Events for close to a year, the typical piece running 2500 words or more. I’m passionate about the topic. Investing based on Environmental, Social, and Governance performance (and financial performance, too) could save our fragile planet. For example, given the choice between investing in solar energy or petroleum stocks, going with the former makes sense. Gas and oil are on their way out as dominant energy sources. 

Enter Likos and three panelists who really knew their stuff: Sarah Bratton Hughes, Head of Sustainability, North America at Schroders; Meredith Jones, Partner & Global Head of ESG at Aon; and Maia Becker, Director, Corporate Governance & Responsible Investment at RBC Asset Management. 

The Qwick Takes Live way is your way

In a nutshell, here’s how we put these webinars together and what they make possible: 

1. Qwoted submits a source request to its network, creates a shortlist of seasoned experts, and invites a reporter to moderate and handpick the panel they’d like to interview.
2. We invite the attendees, which include reporters who cover the topic du jour, industry experts, and PR professionals with clients in that industry.
3. We allow PRs and experts to listen in on the panel discussion as reporters inquire about the issues that intrigue them…
4. …which can be relayed to clients or used as part of a pitching strategy.

From there, it’s pretty simple and intuitive. Qwoted provides social assets to share and handle promotion. Reporters get the chance to bone up on a subject they cover or follow. And as it happens in a live setting, everyone gets a chance to build their brand and extend their visibility. 

I love the innovation behind this. Think about Cirque du Soliel. Is it a circus? A play? Performance art? It’s all of that but more than those. As for the media circus we all love, Qwick Takes Live is a webinar. A showcase for sources. A reporter-driven gathering where they can fire questions press-conference style.

No dancing bears or fireworks, to be sure. But this webinar series serves as the most original approach to sourcing and speaking that I’ve seen in some time. We’ll continue to iterate and refine Qwick Takes Live as we go—because that’s what innovative organizations do. And as soon as we have the next one ready, we’ll make sure you get the word. We’d love to see you there, hear you there and serve you there. 

Here’s to Qwick Takes Live as it takes on life.

Lou Carlozo is Qwoted’s Editor In Chief. All opinions expressed were media buzz borrowed from the fly on the wall. Email lou@qwoted.com or connect on LinkedIn.