TSP: Jim Bob Howard, Editor-In-Chief, Homeschooling Today

By Jason Falls

Public relations professionals often turn to niche publications to reach targeted audiences. Niche publications also often turn to public relations professionals to assist in content generation for those audiences.

Today’s Straight Pitch turns to one such publication, Homeschooling Today magazine and its editor-in-chief Jim Bob Howard. Homeschooling Today is a bi-monthly publication targeted at Christian parents homeschooling children.

The publication operates out of Abingdon, Va. It can be found online at www.homeschooltoday.com.

THE STRAIGHT PITCH

Name:
Jim Bob Howard

Position & Organization:
Editor-in-Chief, Homeschooling Today magazine

Organizational Background/Audience Profile:
Bi-monthly publication to Christian homeschoolers.

Briefly describe your role:
I’m the Editor-in-Chief. We look for articles and reviews that will encourage, exhort, challenge, and support Christian homeschoolers to train up their children in the way they should go, according the Scriptures.

How do you prefer to be approached with story ideas?
We don’t do a lot of “reporting.” However we do receive submissions from writers who are reporting on a topic, event, or person. Rather than pitch an idea, I prefer a writer check our guidelines for laying out the article and for submitting it … then submit it to us for our review.

What key ingredients make a pitch appealing to you?
It’s relevant to Christian homeschoolers and it’s biblically literate.

Which are more helpful in your decision-making, press releases or fact sheets?
Press releases

Do you prefer broad story ideas or pitches intended for specific segments, features or placement?
Specific

What else can PR professionals do to help you do your job?
Don’t assume that because “school” is in our name that everything the public schools do is relevant to our audience.

Technorati Tags: Jim Bob Howard, Homeschooling Today, homeschool, homeschooling, home schooling, education, Christianity, Christian, story ideas, story pitches, media, media relations, public relations

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The Straight Pitch is a feature surveying media members at various levels of responsibility and influence and asking the general question, “How do you like to be pitched?” To recommend a media member, email us at jason@straightpitch.com. If you are a media member and would like to participate, please visit our media survey online by clicking here.

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