AMA: Michael Dempsey on media pitching

At Wildfire, we believe that good media relations is about more than just getting coverage. It’s about understanding how journalists work, what they value, and how PRs can be genuinely helpful rather than a hassle.

That’s why I’ve been setting up regular ‘Ask Me Anything’ (AMA) sessions with journalists.

They give our team the chance to hear unfiltered feedback on everything from the best way for tech brands to stand out in a crowded inbox to the easiest way to get on a journalist’s nerves (aka what not to do).

Our latest session was with Michael Dempsey, a freelance journalist whose experience spans the Financial Times, BBC, media training, and more.

He brought a unique perspective, using his extensive experience to share some honest and practical advice on which tech PR stories get his attention, how he likes to work, and the best way to become a long-term source. 

While many of his points echoed advice we already give clients or follow as a team, hearing it straight from the source always makes those lessons hit home in a different way.

Here are just a few of the key pieces of advice we took away:

“All news is about people”

One of the main points Michael kept coming back to is that the human angle is everything. Whether it’s a tech PR story, a corporate announcement or a shiny new product launch, if it doesn’t relate to real people, it’s probably not news. 

It can be a difficult conversation to have with your CEO, but the product is rarely the story. How it impacts people, on the other hand, might just be media gold. 

Clients naturally live and breathe their company updates, but it’s the PR’s job to translate that into something that will interest and excite not just journalists, but the everyday people reading their articles.

What does your technology mean for the person out on the street? How will it impact their day-to-day lives? These are the questions anyone running PR for tech companies must ask themselves.

Michael encouraged us to visualise the reader: the person sitting next to you on the tube flicking through today’s paper or the office worker scrolling through headlines on their lunch break. It’s our job to ask why they should care.

Do your research

Michael reminded us of something that should be obvious but still gets missed far too often by tech brands: read the journalist’s work. Not just a headline or two so you can insincerely claim you loved their last piece (which, he noted, happens a lot). 

The best PRs take the time to actually read the stories written by the journalists they’re pitching to and dissect them. What kind of angles do they go for? What sort of people are they quoting? What themes crop up again and again?

He urged companies to reverse-engineer their pitches based on those insights. Think of it like a post-mortem: take a story apart, understand why it worked, and use that formula to shape your own angle. It’s exactly the kind of groundwork that builds trust. 

As Michael put it, he wants “evidence you know who I am and who I write for”. And yet, as Michael pointed out (and every journalist in our AMA series so far has echoed — see here and here), it’s still surprisingly rare.

If you’re running PR for a tech company, that’s your best opportunity to cut through.

Ditch the jargon and be human

One of Michael’s biggest pieces of advice for both PRs and spokespeople was simple: speak like a human. 

If you’re a PR, don’t bury the story in buzzwords and if you’re a spokesperson, don’t hide behind business jargon in an interview. As he put it, readers want a clear picture, in plain language. If it’s not relevant to their lives, they’ll switch off.

He also warned against vague phrases like “unique corporate culture” (it’s not unique, every company thinks that). In his words, businesses don’t really have a culture, they have a character. And it’s far more interesting when a spokesperson opens up and speaks honestly, rather than reciting polished lines.

Most of all, Michael encouraged us to make sure that messaging lands for the everyday reader, not just the client. That means simplifying technical terms, avoiding vague B2B waffle, and explaining things in a way that makes sense without needing a glossary.

Know when to push and when to pause

Not every pitch will land. That’s just the reality of media relations. 

You can have the most interesting story in the world, but get gazumped by some breaking news on the day, hit someone’s inbox at the wrong time or get cut by an editor last minute. It can be frustrating and upsetting, but it happens.

One of Michael’s clearest messages was that a “no” isn’t personal and PRs who respect that stand out. What he doesn’t want is to be chased endlessly about a story that isn’t right or be sent overpromised angles that fall apart once things move forward.

He encouraged us to know when to push and when to back off. Good media relationships are built on trust and timing, and often that means recognising when something isn’t quite right. Whether it’s bad timing or in need of more elements. 

Sometimes Michael returns to a source or idea months (or even years) later. Sometimes he needs more than one source to make the story well-rounded. Being helpful and respectful in the moment can pay off down the line.

He also noted that the best agencies are the ones who understand the pressures of freelance life, whether that’s tight deadlines, shifting briefs or multiple clients. PRs who can offer clean, accurate, and timely input (and then give him space to get on with it) are the ones he’ll work with again.

What this means for PRs

The session was a great reminder that the fundamentals of good media relations haven’t changed. Clarity, relevance, and respect for a journalist’s time are still everything. 

These are all lessons we know and follow, but, as always, hearing it directly from someone who lives and breathes this world every day really brings it to life.

We’re so grateful to Michael for giving up his time and being so generous with his insights!

If you’re a journalist and would be up for taking part in a future AMA on technology PR and media relations, feel free to drop me a message!