Good morning!
Recently, I was invited to a media event.
The event sounded fun and interesting, it was a unique concept and potentially a fit for future content. Because the reality is the cost of transportation is something I have to factor into whether an event makes sense for me, I asked if there would be an Uber voucher.
The publicist told me she couldn’t imagine that would be an issue.
Great!
So I happily accepted the invitation. And because I had been invited with a plus-one, I invited a friend to be my date. The plans were made and the event was input into my calendar. Except days later, the publicist circled back.
Oops.
Turns out there actually wasn’t an Uber voucher for the event after all.
“Let me know if you still want to come!”
Except by then, it wasn’t quite that simple. I had already invited someone and worked my schedule around attending on a day that I had four other appointments/meetings/events all over the city. I’d made a commitment based, at least in part, on the information I’d been given. Canceling now wouldn’t just mean changing my plans. It would mean backing out of plans I’d made with someone else who themselves had arranged their own schedule around attending with me.
(Side note: But if it was me, in that situation, I would have insisted on covering the ride anyway, at that point, but I can’t tell other people how to live their lives and do their jobs.)
If there’s one thing I care about, it’s honoring my commitments, both professional and personal. So I went to the event anyway.
And here’s the funny thing: I’m glad I did.
The event was fun. I had a good time. I came away with some potentially useful content. This isn’t a story about how I spent money getting somewhere and then sat in a corner grumpily eating passed hors d’oeuvres while composing this newsletter in my head. But I did incur an expense I hadn’t expected to incur.
And the whole situation reminded me of something much bigger than Uber vouchers: If you don’t know something, don’t tell someone that you do.
“I can’t imagine that would be an issue” sounds casual. But when someone is using that information to decide whether to attend an event, accept an opportunity, schedule an interview, pursue a story or otherwise commit their time and resources, it’s not casual anymore.
The correct answer was incredibly easy:
“I actually do not know. Let me check on that and get back to you.”
That’s it! Easy, right?
There is absolutely nothing wrong with not knowing the answer. There is a problem with giving someone an answer they may make decisions around before you’ve verified that it’s true.
And this goes way beyond event logistics.
PR is, fundamentally, a communications business built on mutual trust.
Journalists have to trust that when you tell us something is exclusive, it actually is. That when you say a product launches Tuesday, it launches Tuesday. That when you call something “first-ever,” somebody has actually checked whether that’s true. That when you say an expert is available for an interview, you’ve confirmed that they’re available. That when you promise perishable samples are going out today for arrival tomorrow, they’re actually going out. That when you say you’ll have images by Friday, you’ve established that those images exist and can be delivered by Friday. That when you tell us a CEO can speak to a particular topic, the CEO can, in fact, speak to that topic. That when you say something is new, it isn’t a three-year-old product with a new press release. And that the statistics, superlatives, claims and talking points in your pitch can survive a very basic fact-check.
Because here’s the thing about trust: You rarely lose all of it at once. Usually, you lose it $40 at a time. Or one “first-ever” that wasn’t. One exclusive that went to six other reporters. One “confirmed” interview that wasn’t actually confirmed. One sample that was “definitely shipping tomorrow” but arrived three weeks later with no tracking or heads up, weeks after the story had wrapped up. One piece of information that sounded certain when what you really meant was, “Dunno, maybe, but I think so.”
None of these things individually needs to harm a relationship. People make mistakes. Plans change. Clients change their minds. Budgets disappear. Shipping gets delayed. Someone realizes the rideshare line item wasn’t approved after all.
Life happens.
But how you communicate uncertainty matters.
“I believe so, but let me confirm.”
“We’re planning for Tuesday, but the date isn’t final.”
“I’ve requested the sample, but I don’t have shipping confirmation yet.”
“We’re hoping she’ll be available for interviews; let me check her schedule.”
Those aren’t weak answers. They’re honest answers. And honest answers make me trust the definitive ones more.
Don’t oversell what you don’t need to oversell.
This matters in pitching, too. Not everything needs to be revolutionary. Not every restaurant is “highly anticipated.” Not every product is going to “change the way we...” Not every trend is sweeping the nation. Not every chef is world-renowned. Not every opening is the most exciting opening of the year.
Sometimes you have a good story. Let it just be a good story. Because the second I discover that one part of your pitch was exaggerated, I start wondering what else was exaggerated. And now you’ve created more work for me.
Instead of reading your next email thinking, Oh, this person usually sends me reliable information, I’m reading it thinking, Okay, but is this actually true?
That’s a very different media relationship.
Credibility compounds.
The reverse is true, too. Every time you tell me something accurate, you make your next email stronger. Every time you say “I don’t know, but I’ll find out” and then actually find out, you build credibility. Every time you correct something proactively instead of hoping I won’t notice, you build credibility. Every time you resist the temptation to turn “probably” into “definitely,” you build credibility. And eventually, your name in my inbox means something.
It means: I can trust this person.
We’re about to embark on holiday gift guide season. It’s the busiest time of the year to be my inbox. In an inbox overflowing with pitches, AI-generated nonsense, inflated claims, manufactured trends and breathless superlatives, that may be one of the most valuable advantages you can have.
So here’s your Monday reminder: You do not have to know everything. You don’t have to promise everything. You don’t have to make every pitch sound bigger than it is. You don’t have to tell me the answer you think I want to hear.
Tell me what you know. Tell me what you don’t know. Tell me what you’re going to verify. And then come back when you have the answer. I’d much rather hear “let me check” today than “oops” tomorrow or next week.
And yes, maybe I’ll still go to the party or event or dinner or trip. I might even have a fabulous time. But trust me: The Uber ride situation isn’t the part I’m going to remember. It’s whether I could trust the information that got me there.
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Upcoming travel: I’ll be in Dallas for a few days in October. If you want to try to meet up for a drink or coffee or have a client you are hoping I can check out (or general recommendations) - drop me a line! (Note: Thanks so much but where I’m staying is all set!) I’ll also BRIEFLY be in Fort Lauderdale in November (just for about 24 hours!), KYP when I know more!
Job Leads
Reminder: Job leads are freely shared as a service to this community, and there’ll NEVER be any charge. It’s here to help me help you, and I’ll keep it in as long as you need. Email me at alywalansky@gmail.com if there’s any job leads you wish me to include!
My fab friends at KLG PR are looking for a Senior Account Executive and a Account Manager who are truly passionate about PR and the world of spirits. View job details here and here and be sure to tell them you heard about the job lead in Aly Walansky’s newsletter!
Rachel Harrison Communications is looking for a few awesome PR/communications people who focus on bars, wine and spirits. If you know anyone (or if you are one) email RH@wearerhc.com. Agency experience required. Mostly director levels, supervisors, and SAE levels. Tell them Aly Walansky sent you!
Book your consulting session!
I still have some space available the remainder of 2026!
I would love to join your team on Zoom, a phone call, or in-person and conduct a team Q&A where I answer any of your questions about planning events, media dinners, mailers, trips, pitching, followups, etc — giving you a very necessary media perspective from someone who has been in the trenches for decades and is excited to help ease your own path. Email me at alywalansky@gmail.com if you are interested in chatting more and setting something up and we can discuss rates and details. We can switch it up in any way you or your team needs. While most of my calls do end up being virtual, I just did one where we did our session over a martini lunch! I’m available for whatever your team prefers. Lets chat.
Please follow me on the Yahoo Creators platform! I’m writing a wide range of lifestyles topics: check out my author profile to see some of my most recent pieces! (This is updated daily - usually multiple times daily - so you’ll want to keep checking it out for new content!) — and there’s lots of gift guides published there, too!
Also, can we please be friends? Be sure to follow me on Instagram while you’re at it!
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Limited-time deal on ad placement!
Times are tough, and I’m here to help you: I’m offering special reduced seasonal rates on advertising in this newsletter. I’d love to place your sponsored posts and ads in my newsletter, which goes out to nearly 11,000 PR and media professionals every single day. We’re the only media/PR Substack community that publishes every single day, five days a week, and offers DAILY free public-facing content. That makes it a great opportunity to get your service or brand in front of interested parties — and I’m thrilled to work with you on a rate structure that works for your business and needs. We are a community here and here to support each other always.
Note: This newsletter exists to support its community and I do limit advertising to only what would be of interest to my readers, but am open to both short paragraph blurbs, recurring ads, and dedicated posts and more - if you are interested in chatting details and scheduling something, please email me at alywalansky@gmail.com today! I’m here to help you!
Tools of the Trade
The Recipe for Press Media Directory is an essential and affordable database that targets the right magazine editors and freelance writers for pitching products and projects in food, fashion, interiors, travel, business and lifestyle. Created by former editor, Amy Flurry, the directory features emails, titles, active social media addresses, and a notes section with submission guidelines for each contact. This is why leading publicists, editors, and entrepreneurs across the country, including me, widely use and recommend it! Annual subscription price is just $195 and absolutely packed with value. Another perk of the subscription: you receive a Pitch Tip newsletter once a month highlighting the updates and newly added editors and serves as a reminder of the movement and shifts happening in the industry. This is PR gold for publicists!
I partnered with Pitchcraft to be able to share a special offer just for my readers: Use code ALY200: new users will get $200 off their first month of the monthly PR Membership or code ALY400: This one offers new users $400 off their first year of the annual PR Membership. This is a great network to join because it’s a community of both PR professionals and journalists working together to find better ways to work together and share opportunities, and you know how much I believe in all of that.
Exciting news from our friend Sarah Karger (who you’ve seen as the star expert panelist for several of our gift guide pitching workshops!) - she launched her new course, Affiliate Marketing & Performance-Based PR for Publicists - It’s built specifically to help PR pros and agencies add affiliate management as a core capability, something we all know is completely essential in today’s media landscape.
Have a client or service you think would be a fit for this section? Drop me a note at alywalansky@gmail.com anytime, I look forward to hearing from you!
Newly published or freshly updated
Since people are often asking about the status of stories from a while ago, and I only share stories in this newsletter that were published or updated in the current week, I have created a list of my author pages at various publications to which I contribute. Bookmark it and make your life a bit easier.
Yahoo Creators: Check out my author profile (I have several new stories a day across the lifestyles umbrella, so that’s the best way to stay updated!)
Yahoo: These 23 summer essentials help me to keep cool and comfortable during seasonal heat waves
Yahoo: Headed to college this year? The 25 most crucial back-to-school dorm essentials
Southern Living: I Tried Trader Joe’s New $2 Seasoning—And Now I’m Putting It On Everything
Southern Living: 5 Store-Bought Salad Dressings Chefs Always Keep In Their Kitchens
Travel & Leisure: I’m a Frequent Business Traveler, and I Found 6 Comfy Airplane Outfits That Still Look Put Together—From $8
Apartment Therapy:The 18 Best Prime Day Travel Deals, Vetted by Pro Travelers (Starting at $8!)
Travel & Leisure: This Plane Seat Cushion Is My Secret to Arriving at Destinations Pain-free
Food Network: 25 Little Treats You Can Score for Free on Your Birthday
Travel & Leisure: I Travel for Work, and These Are the 5 Genius Hacks That Save Me From Luggage Messes and Spills—From $4
Travel & Leisure: I’ve Been Solo Traveling for 25 Years—12 Mistakes That Cause the Biggest Headaches, and How to Prevent Them
Forbes.com: 20 Great Variations On The Classic Martini
Southern Living: I Tried Trader Joe’s New Marinated Mozzarella Balls—Now I’m Using Them In Nearly Every Meal
Southern Living: I’m A Travel Writer, And This Cruise Hack Gets Me An Empty Pool, No Buffet Lines, And A Better Vacation
Southern Living: I’ve Tried Every Way To Bake A Potato—This 1 Wins Every Time
Travel & Leisure: Frequent Fliers Say This Genius Hack Makes It Feel Like They’ve Upgraded Their Seat—and It’s Only $35
Travel & Leisure: I’m a Frequent Solo Traveler, and This Genius Safety Device Gives Me Peace of Mind in Every Airbnb
Southern Living: I’m A Travel Writer, And My Friends And I Are Obsessed With This App For Tracking Each Other’s Flights
Travel & Leisure: I Fly Around the Country for Work, and This Roomy Tote Is My No. 1 Airport Essential for Looking Put Together.
Travel & Leisure: I’m a Solo Traveler of 25 Years, and These Are the 18 Products I Swear By for Personal Safety in 2026
Travel & Leisure: Traveling Alone Can Be Expensive—Here Are 15 Budget-friendly Hacks That Save Me Money
Southern Living: The One-Pan Cheesy Meal I Make Whenever I'm Too Tired To Cook
If you or your client are featured in any of these stories, I super appreciate any social media shares! Please remember to tag @alywalansky and the outlet.
Here’s what I’m working on:
Be sure to read the below list carefully. Many are stories I posted about yesterday, but some of yesterday's stories are no longer listed and a few new ones have been added since yesterday. This (below) is everything that is still a currently open opportunity as of today.
Please remember when pitching me: Email me at alywalansky@gmail.com - do NOT just hit reply on this newsletter, or there’s a good shot your email will be lost in the heap. Give your email a subject line that makes it clear which story you are pitching me for — it’ll help you in the long run.
Please consult my industry insights guides on submitting expert commentary, sending emails that will catch a journalist’s attention, how to craft pitches journalists will say ‘yes’ to, and the right and wrong way to submit photos, if you need any extra guidance before sending your pitches.
Before pitching: Please be sure to refer to my photo submission guidelines for help with photo submission best practices!
Dining Out NYC
I’m a contributor to Dining Out NYC (see a recent story I did for them on the Las Vegas influence on NYC’s culinary scene), and always open to pitches related to NYC dining trends, and openings, news, and so forth.
Apartment Therapy
I’m sourcing for product pitches and expert commentary related to smart solutions or product that creates storage out of thin air. Think: a closet, counter space, an extra tier or shelf inside of a cabinet, as well as surprising items to organize around the house, affordable (or splurgy!) finds that solve a very specific problem. Think: IKEA, Costco, Sam's Club, Amazon, HomeGoods, Dollar General, Dollar Tree.
Forbes.com
It’s almost Hot & Spicy food day, and I’m looking for creative, interesting, delicious dishes and cocktails.
To pitch, please include:
Name of drink/dish
Restaurant/bar where it can be ordered (as well as city, state, URL)
description
quote from chef/bartender about dish (and name and title of person being quoted)
and LINK to image, with an identifying file name, and any appropriate photo credits included
(I know I give these guidelines over and over, but every day I get dozens of pitches that disregard them, so it bears repeating! <3)!
Email me at alywalansky@gmail.com asap please! All the same parameters will apply when emailing.
Thanks!
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