Meet the Media – Jessica Mudditt

16 Mar Meet the Media – Jessica Mudditt

This is the first in a series of interviews with media folk so you can understand what makes them tick and how and when to pitch with anything relevant.

First up, the lovely Jessica Mudditt.

Jessica it would be great if you could introduce yourself and give us a brief rundown on your background and who you write for?

I’m a freelance journalist in Sydney and my articles have been published by the Economist Intelligence Unit, CNN, GQ, Marie Claire, Australian Geographic, The Sydney Morning Herald, CEO Magazine, Westpac Wire, Essential Baby and CPA’s member magazine INTHEBLACK. I also write branded content for The Economist, Suddenly and Medium Rare Content.

I write features on business, tech and lifestyle, and I have a particular interest in workplace issues. I was accredited as a newspaper journalist in London in 2009 and spent seven years working in Bangladesh and Myanmar, which was fascinating. I returned to Australia in 2016.

How does being a freelance writer differ from being a full-time journalist at a set media outlet? Are you looking for the same stories?

My beat may be a little broader because I write for a variety of publications, on subjects that range from whaling scams against CEOs to a Wiggles concert review. I write features rather than news, and I tend not to write straight profile pieces, as that is something an inhouse staff writer will typically be assigned by an editor. The exception is when an editor assigns me to write a profile piece because the person being featured is a member of a professional organisation such as CPA, for example. But it’s not something I would pitch.

What are you looking for in a story?

Something unusual or quirky, with a strong human interest element. Ideally, something that hasn’t received a lot of coverage in Australia, or has a fresh angle. Or a piece of new technology, or new application of it.

Are there any particular stories you love writing about or your editors are really receptive to?

I have just written my fourth article about braindating, which is an app that aims to make professional networking less awkward. My editors loved the concept of it, and there were so many different angles (ie the tech side of the app, the benefits for busy CEOs, my first-person experience of braindating and the networking side of things). I love stories that show a sneak peak into our possible future, such as the rise of ‘clean meat’ (cell-based meat grown in a lab, rather than killing animals). I also love stories about innovation in the workplace, such as implementing a shorter work week, giving staff unlimited leave or categorising personalities into four types of fruit (sounds bizarre but it’s very intuitive!).

What is the lead time between pitching a story to you and it is published?

It depends entirely on the publication. If it’s digital, it tends to be quite quick – sometimes it’s up in a matter of hours, or a few days. Magazines can be six months, or even longer, depending on their production schedule. The average tends to be a month.

How do you like to receive a pitch?

I prefer to receive pitches via email and a short pitch is fine – I probably won’t read anything over 800 words. I just need enough information to know of any past press coverage, and what makes this story idea different. If I receive a PR pitch that has simultaneously been sent to multiple publications I write for, it is unlikely that an editor will commission me to write about it. If you give me a chance to pitch it exclusively, that helps my chances of success.

What do you expect to be big stories in 2020?

As we know, the story of the year, and possibly the decade, is coronavirus. As well as the potentially terrifying health implications, I think it will fundamentally change the way we work. I suspect that some of the shifts being made to remote and flexible working may be here to stay. It might sound weird, but it reminds me of how women started working during World War I, and then saw no reason to leave the workforce when the war was over. I also think that we will increasingly rely on technology to stave off loneliness and isolation, and new and better ways of staying connected will pop up and be written about – hopefully by me.

Where can people find out more about you/follow you/email you with a story?

Email – jess.mudditt@gmail.com
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