Mitch's Media Musings, Aug. 16 - Sept. 15, 2017
Well. That was quite a week. Hopefully, most people in Atlanta have power back now. Thanks to all the local meteorologists who kept us informed as the storm approached. These things are always slightly unpredictable, but better to be over prepared than under.
The New Leff's Atlanta Media and Mitch's Media Match!
In case you missed it, we're excited to unveil the new and even-better Leff’s Atlanta Media and Mitch’s Media Matchwebsites!
What's new? Faster. Sleeker design. Totally mobile-friendly. Voice-capable search on mobile. More social media.
Journalists can now easily access hundreds of experts and story sources via the Mitch's Media Match site on their mobile devices.
4 Questions Journalist Spotlight
Recent offerings from our “4 Questions Journalist Spotlight” features with Atlanta Daybook include: Parthiv Parekh, Khabar magazine, Lesli Peterson, 365 Atlanta Family, Eric Stirgus, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and freelance writer Haisten Willis.
Mitch's Media Match Experts
Every month we bring a selection highlighting the 150+ experts in our Mitch's Media Match database.
Laron Walker, CEO of MyStemKits.com. As an authority in web technologies, Laron has launched a number of technology start-ups that targeted niche markets, including his newest endeavor MyStemKits.com, an education technology company focused on using 3D printed manipulatives for STEM learning in K-12 classrooms.
Ray Hill, professor, Goizueta Business School. Hill has been speaking to media this week about infrastructure and energy issues following hurricanes Harvey and Irma.
David Paddison and Doug Rider, Sterling Seacrest Partners. Paddison and Rieder are experts on insurance and risk management and can discuss issues relating to insurance and damage following Hurricane Irma.
Remember you can check our Atlanta media blog anytime throughout the month. The link’s right at the top of the main page of Leff’s Atlanta Media and Mitch’s Media Match.
Got changes? Working a new beat? Additions or departures? Great stories you want to brag about? Let me know and I'll put it in the blog.
Mitch Leff
Mitch’s Media Musings, Leff & Associates, Leff’s Atlanta Media, Mitch’s Media Match
Mitch's Media Musings
August 16 - September 15, 2017
Events
Atlanta Press Club announces its 2017 Hall of Fame inductees:
Doug Blackmon, former Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter, former Wall Street Journal bureau chief and Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II.
Fred Kalil, long-time sports anchor, currently with CBS46 since 2015 and formerly with WXIA for 22 years.
Aubrey Morris, the first news director of WSB Radio and formerly a reporter with the Atlanta Journal and the Atlanta Constitution. He died in 2010 at age 88.
Cynthia Tucker, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist for commentary and former editor of the editorial page for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Mark your calendar for upcoming Press Club events:
The Economy of Atlanta's Hidden Art Scene: Funding, Focus and Facilities at Hodgepodge Coffeehouse, Tuesday, August 29 at 6 p.m.
Raphael Bostic Makes First Public Speech as Head of Atlanta Reserve at The Commerce Club, Tuesday, September 26 at 11:30 a.m.
Save the Date: The 2017 Hall of Fame Dinner at the InterContinental Buckhead Hotel, Tuesday, October 10
Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) - Great panel discuss this month on Hyperlocal Media with Decaturish, Patch.com and the Cobb County Courier.
NATAS - The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences inducted a number of Atlanta journalists into its Gold and Silver Circle this month
Gold - John York, WPBA
Silver - Jovita Moore, WSB; John Deushane, WXIA; Jorge Buza, Telemundo; Martin Savige, CNN; Ken Rodriguez, WAGA; Frank Volpicella, WGCL
Media Musings
Atlanta Business Chronicle - A change this month to the paper's popular "People on the Move" feature. The section now features guaranteed placement in the print edition, online placement for life, larger bios, color photos and double the space for each submission. There is now also a cost for this placement, $250 per placement. There are options for bulk placements, so if you know your company will be announcing a number of new hires or promotions over the course of a year, you can get a substantial discount. If you work with the Chronicle's sister papers around the country, you've probably seen this already in other markets.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
New digital subscriber section launches, Political Georgia. This is a behind-the-paywall special section.
Several departures this month: Scott Thurston, Tom Stinson and Misty Williams. The first two are retiring. Williams will be writing for Roll Call.
Cobb Life - Editor Mark Wallace Maguire has published a sequel to October 2016’s successful “Alexandria Rising,” for which was was nominated for Georgia Author of The Year and Independent Author of the Year. We finished it this weekend! You can find “Alexandria Reborn” on Amazon.
Atlanta Eats – After five years, “Atlanta Eats" is going daily on Peachtree TV, starting in September. Steak Shapiro’s five-year-old TV show had been airing on weekends for the past four years. The new weekday shows will blend still-relevant older restaurant features with new ones.
Creative Loafing - Big news from Creative Loafing this month as editor Carlton Hargro rolls out a new monthly print concept.
July 27 was their last weekly print edition
Aug 17 was their first monthly paper
More online content
New hip-hop podcast, Atlanta Untrapped
Details on the why: http://tinyurl.com/yc8j3pft
Also from CL this week is their annual "Best" list. Several local journalists were recognized. I can't seem to find the "Best PR Guy" section, but maybe next year!
Best Local Journalist - Dan Whisenhunt, Decaturish.com
Best Local Blog - Decaturish.com
Best Anchor - Russ Spencer, Fox5
Best Radio Station - Rock 100.5 (WNNX-FM)
Best Radio DJ/Personality - English Nick, 97.1 River
Best Street Character - Baton Bob won (but I did a write-in vote for Fox5's Paul Milliken and have asked CL for a recount)
Modern Luxury Medicine + Doctors - The Modern Luxury group has added a sixth title to their Atlanta offerings. Modern Luxury MD will be issued twice yearly -- in March and September -- and will focus on highlighting the local medical community both personally and professionally. Katie Staak is the local contact.
Newnan Times-Herald
Publisher Walter Jones departs for a position as Director of Legislative Affairs for the Georgia Division of Family and Childrens Services
Clay and Beth Neely are now the co-publishers of the paper. Here's a link to more about them: http://times-herald.com/news/2017/09/neelys-named-new-publishers-of-the-newnan-times-herald.
The Weather Channel - Shannon Norwood moves to TWC from CBS46 as a producer.
Southern Brew News – We've added this beer-focused pub to our database. Owen Ogletree is the Georgia reporter.
Univision
Gianncarlo Cifuentes (pictured above) has been promoted from News Director to Regional News Director. He'll be overseeing news operations in Atlanta, Raleigh and Philadelphia.
WAGA/Fox5
Sharon Lawson joins Good Day Atlanta as a news anchor.
WGCL/CBS46 - The station this month announced a partnership with Univision Atlanta. VP/GM Mark Pimentel says the stations will share news content on a daily basis. How much they share and what each news department finds valuable each day will vary. The stations will partner on some events and at sometime in the future they may combine their resources on some joint journalism ventures.
WGST – The syndicated "Sports Conversation with Loren Smith" has been added to the schedule.
WSB TV - Ross Cavitt has been tapped to be the new Communications Director for Cobb County.
News from the PR Dept
Congrats to Jodi Fleisig, who launched JBF Media Consultants LLC this month. She worked previously at Porter Novelli.
Donna Lowry is leaving her Cobb Schools PR position for a new position with Fulton County Schools as Chief Communications Officer.
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