TGIF

A rough week; a few low-lift ways to make the journos in your life happy; and Christmas, continued (at least with the decorations)

Los Angeles at night during better days. (Photo by john ko on Unsplash)

We made it to the end of what feels like the longest workweek of the entire calendar, which, for some reason, seemed to drag even more this year. It felt like it was about 30 days long. But it’s finally Friday, and here we are.

I can only imagine the agony that victims of the wildfires in Los Angeles have been through these last few days. I have several close friends who live there, and I’ve collaborated with many LA-based writers and publicists. While most people I know have been lucky, so many others have not. I lived in San Francisco for nearly 10 years — my son was born there — and California will always have a special place in my heart. Watching the images on the news is simply devastating. My thoughts are with all those affected, including firefighters and other frontline responders.

The Los Angeles Times has done an excellent job with its coverage of the crisis (and this story links ways you can help, though it appeared to be down when I last visited, perhaps because of high traffic).

Here’s hoping the weather gods have mercy soon so the long process of recovery and rebuilding can begin.

A Few Low-Lift Ways to Make the Journalists in Your Life Happy This Year

I’m sure I’m not the only one who slogged through deadlines this week like a tractor in quicksand. On that sluggish note, I decided it would be an apropos time to share a few easy, low-lift tips for working with journalists that have been front of mind. I hope they’re helpful.

• Make sure to include, at minimum, the city of the hotel, restaurant, DMO, or attraction you’re pitching at some point up top. I’ve seen so many pitches lately that leave this key info out. If it’s a major city, you don’t need the state (like Associated Press style), but smaller towns and could-be-located-anywhere tourism organizations absolutely need clarification.

• And speaking of location … Suss out a journalist’s current city before inviting them to in-person events. So far this week, I’ve received invites to events in Los Angeles and New York (not IMM-related, either). It’s always lovely to be included, of course, but sometimes I’m tempted to reply with an enthusiastic yes, and then share what my preferred airlines are from Amsterdam, where I live.

• PR pros who take the reins on scheduling and setting up the Zoom/Teams/Google Meet call for interviews, and then sending a calendar invite to all parties — keep up the great work. Not everyone does this, and sometimes it feels awkward to ask, so the publicists who take the initiative to handle this step without prompting are rockstars. It seems simple, but it’s such a relief to know someone else has it sorted.

And That’s a Wrap

This is not my living room; it’s the clubhouse of my son’s soccer (voetbal) team, still oozing with holiday spirit nearly two weeks after Christmas.

The sight of crispy Christmas trees piled up on street corners this time of year usually makes me sad. But what makes me happy is that mine isn’t one of them — yet. That’s right, folks: I’ve apparently become one of those annoying people who keep up holiday decorations well past their expiration date. But I’m in good company, as tons of Dutchies do this too: Our neighborhood is full of Christmas trees glowing in windows and lighted decorations. It’s all about keeping up gezelligheid, which generally refers to a vibe of coziness and conviviality — and is critical in these dark, cold days.

Here’s to keeping it gezellig here, too. If you’re a new subscriber, thank you so much for coming onboard. Welcome to the (Bachelor) party!

Until next time,

Blane