Professor Peddington Doubles as Respected Reporter at the Globe

A vegan, mother of three, Boston University professor, and freelance writer for esteemed outlets such as The Boston Globe and People Magazine, are just some of the titles Juliette Peddington carries. As an undergraduate journalism and PR professor at BU, Peddington enjoys sharing her experience with young aspiring professionals and educating college students on the world of journalism, and how to maintain successful relationships with PR people.

Peddington admits that she is stronger suited to teach journalism classes at BU, because it’s what she knows best. However, there is a unique advantage for students to learn PR from a journalist. Because peddington is on the receiving end of stories pitched by PR practitioners, she can educate public relations students on what Journalists appreciate from PR professionals in terms of communication, as well as what behavior they consider too brass or emphatic. Peddington emphasizes how it is good to hear how a PR person should act from a journalist’s perspective, in order for students to know what kind of relationship they should establish.

Like all other types of relationships, Peddington expresses that a relationship between a journalist and a PR person is one that must be worked upon. “A good relationship with a PR person is one that is based on trust, factual information, and a lot of quid pro quo,” says peddington. A journalist is more likely to help out a PR person and publish their story if that PR person has done the journalist a favor in the past. Furthermore, journalists are also more inclined to open emails from PR people that they are familiar with. “That’s why you have to make sure you’re friendly with everyone in your field, and in journalism,” says Peddington. “Because that might be the person you are pitching in ten years.”

Peddington also advises aspiring PR professionals to pitch stories relevant to the journalist. “Know what I cover,” she says. “I get so many press releases that are off topic. That I would never cover, and I say, ‘this person didn’t do his or her homework’.” As a vegan, Peddington describes how she has received releases for foods like steaks and other meat products. “Don’t pitch me that. Google my name. You’ll see what I write. The best types of PR people are the ones that say, ‘I read your story on this, and I was thinking about doing a story on this,- it would go nicely with your story.’ It shows that they’re working, and not randomly cold-calling.”

However, if the PR professional does not know the journalist well and has to resort to a “randomly cold-call”, the most efficient way to pitch a story is via email with a “kickass” subject line. The reporter, on the other hand, still may not open the email. If a PR person feels passionately about the potential of the story, Peddington suggests being “politely persistent”. “It is an artform,” says Peddington. “There is a fine line between being too pushy and not pushy enough.” She encourages PR professionals to “circle back” to the reporter, include specific dates and times when they’re willing to meet with the writer about the story, and be flexible about the piece. “Maybe say something like, ‘If you’re not the right person, to whom would you suggest I pitch this?’ or ‘We could also go in a different direction with this if you have any suggestions.’”

Peddington talks about her passion for journalism, and the variety of things she gets to do because of it. “I love what I do. I was able to Parlay what I love into what I do. I’ve always been inquisitive, and I’ve always loved a good story.” Some of her projects have included the New England Patriots, Carly Simon, Uzo Aduba, and Meredith Vieira. She hopes to be involved in a project in Zimbabwe where she will create a documentary about orphaned elephants. None of these assignments could be possible without a working relationship with PR practitioners. As an esteemed and seasoned journalist, Peddington’s PR students should value her guidance with high regard, as they will have to form relationships like the ones Peddington describes. And although such relationships take time, Peddington takes pride in mentoring her students in their efforts to do so.