Pitch Perfect: How to Get Pet Stories in the News
On this episode of The Whisker Report, host Mary Tan and producer Mark Winter of Pet Life Radio welcome award-winning journalist and 2025 Dog Writers Association of America Hall of Fame inductee Jen Reeder. With more than 1,000 bylines in major outlets including The New York Times, Forbes, CNN, and Reader’s Digest, Jen shares invaluable insight into what makes a pitch stand out — and what sends it straight to the delete folder. From examples of great (and terrible) PR outreach to whether press releases still matter, this episode is a masterclass for anyone in animal welfare or the pet industry seeking real media coverage. In the second half, the conversation turns to the evolving world of journalism, freelancing, shrinking newsrooms, and the impact of AI on writing and storytelling. If you want your pet story to actually make the news, this is the episode you can’t afford to miss.
Listen to Episode #38 Now:
BIO:
There are typically two responses when I tell someone I’m a freelance journalist who specializes in dogs. If I’m lucky, they’ll whip out their phone and show me photos of a beloved pup. But sometimes, I’m met with a look of confusion. “You only write about dogs?”
My primary niche might seem narrow, but that’s not the case. I’ve had the chance to research incredibly varied topics, including:
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Dog and cat cloning in the U.S.
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The use of leeches in veterinary medicine
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How to keep a dog from acting racist
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Dog-friendly travel destinations
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Laws surrounding cannabis and pets
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Kidney transplants for cats
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Incarcerated men training dogs for adoption
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Work to prevent suicide among veterinarians
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Students raising guide dogs for the blind
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Why it’s important for domestic violence shelters to allow pets
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Volunteers helping pets and people fleeing Ukraine
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Breed-specific legislation, like pit bull bans
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Breaking news about pets and the coronavirus
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Fiona the Hippo’s latest book
I often profile inspiring people and pets working to make the world a better place. I approach interviews with an open mind, a commitment to accuracy and compassion. One source recounting the death of her husband even told me I’m like a “journalist/therapist.”
My work has appeared in The Christian Science Monitor, CNN, BBC News, Woman’s World, Reader’s Digest, The Daily Beast, the TODAY show’s website, Best Friends Magazine, Modern Dog, HuffPost, Family Dog, Inside Your Dog’s Mind, PBS’s Next Avenue, Just Labs, Tufts University’s Your Dog and many other publications. I’m the pets contributor for Forbes.com.
On the book front, I co-authored the travel guidebook Adventure Guide: Hawaii the Big Island, photographed and edited The Golf Fanatic’s Guide to Hawaii and contributed to the anthology Second-Chance Dogs.
I am proud to be the 2025 inductee into the Hall of Fame of the Dog Writers Association of America, and a member of the Cat Writers’ Association, Society of Professional Journalists, American Society of Journalists and Authors, Society for Features Journalism and the Denver Press Club.
Transcript: