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Press Insider

Press Insider

Written by: Kelly Bowerbank
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Press Insider is a new media industry podcast featuring key, influential editors on how to get that elusive yes to a pitch. If your ambition is to learn how to become a freelance writer and secure bylines at prestigious magazines and newspapers, then this show is for you. Not a writer? This podcast is also for people who want to know how to successfully pitch article ideas to journalists, or get media attention for a cause or business.

In each episode you’ll hear from a different talented editor or journalist at titles like GQ, Conde Nast Traveller, Women’s Health and CNN to name just a few. They’ll share tangible, actionable takeaways on what makes a great story, and provide a list of topics and themes they actively want pitches about to get you started, PLUS guidance on when best to send your ideas so that they land.


On top of that, each guest will share examples of story pitches they’ve loved, and divulge how the media landscape is changing, why this impacts what they commission, and what you can do to stay ahead of it. By the end of each episode listeners will know why editor's want what they want, what data sways them, and how to hone their ideas to reflect this. Basically, you’ll have all the intel that you need to succeed.

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Episodes
  • Wallpaper*, Director of Digital Content, Charlotte Gunn, (S1:E10)

    Wallpaper*, Director of Digital Content, Charlotte Gunn, (S1:E10)
    Nov 18 2025
    Charlotte Gunn is the Director of Digital Content at Wallpaper*. She’s also the founder and editorial director of indie music title The Forty Five, an online publication dedicated to amplifying female and non-binary artists and talent. In this interview we mainly focus on Wallpaper*, but we touch on the similarities and differences between these two brands and over how to pitch to both towards the end if you’re interested. Charlotte started in the industry over two decades ago, and has worked for lots of titles you’ll have heard of, including: Red, Rolling Stone, Marie Claire, The Face, and NME. She began as a writer and has interviewed some of the biggest names in music and culture, and has spent countless hours on the front lines of live events, festivals and media launches around the world. But these days, she can be mainly found strategising. She’s brilliant at audience development, setting out an editorial vision and storytelling. And it shows in the chunky 40% YOY growth they’ve had at Wallpaper* this year under her leadership. In this episode, as well as all the usual stuff about what’s on her pitch wish list, and what makes her say yes to a commission, we’ll dig into the 12 themes Wallpaper* commission most of their content around every year (tip: the chronological list is below), the one weakness a lot of writers have, and which event is Wallpaper’s equivalent of Glastonbury! She’ll also share the strings you need to add to your bow to get more work from them, and what editors are grumbling about to each other in their private whatsapp groups… But she starts the chat by talking about the remarkable success of Wallpaper*’s print magazines. KEY TOPICS: How to become a journalist at Wallpaper*How to become a trusted PR at Wallpaper*How to pitch an article to Wallpaper*Article pitch examples for Wallpaper*How to write an article for Wallpaper* magazineHow to get free press coverage at Wallpaper*How to become a regular freelancer at Wallpaper*How to futureproof your writing or PR career ABOUT THE GUEST: Charlotte Gunn, Wallpaper* Charlotte’s specialisms are Content, Strategy, Partnership, Innovation, and leading creative and editorial teams to deliver storytelling that resonates with the consumer, is authentic to all brands and forwards the business goals. She’s passionate about the intersection of Creative and Business strategy for Gen Z to Millennial to mature audiences. The fast paced world of managing and growing audience engagement is where she thrives. She has a track record of driving growth in established and burgeoning brands, using lean startup methodology and a data-driven approach to rapidly develop and test new ideas. Find them on: Linkedin (where the above bio is sourced from)The Forty Five LIST OF RESOURCES MENTIONED: Wallpaper’s section editors Charlotte Gunn – Director of Digital ContentJason Hughes – Fashion & Creative DirectorEllie Stathaki – Environment and Architecture DirectorRosa Bertoli – Global Design DirectorLauren Ho – Travel DirectorMelina Keays – Entertaining DirectorSofia De La Cruz – Travel EditorJonathan Bell – Transport & Technology EditorJack Moss – Fashion Features EditorHannah Silver – Art, Watches & Jewellery EditorMary Cleary — BeautyAnna Fixsen — US Editor The 12 annual issue themes: January: Next GenFebruary: Design awardsMarch: StyleApril: Global InteriorsMay: Salone Preview (Saloni de Mobile)June: Travel / escapesJuly: Design DirectoryAugust: Creative AmericaSeptember: StyleOctober: The long readNovember: ArtsDecember: Entertaining The weekend paper newsletterNieves Gonzalez paints Lily Allen at a turning pointInside the free-thinking world of Craig GreenFranchises The stuff that surrounds us Ep1: Veronica DittingEp2: Yasmin SewellEp3: Glenn Sestig Uprising Johanna ParvConnor McKnightAshlynn Park Residential house tours (there are lots of these, below are just a small selection) Clerkenwell Rooftop HomeCinematic Home in Palm SpringsBrutalist Hyderabad HomeDerelict Farmer’s Cottage in Scotland Saloni de Mobile — Wallpaper*’s Glastonbury!Recommended writers and freelancers Jack Moss — fashion features editor, Wallpaper*Craig McLean - music writerLisa Wright — culture writer Visit The Forty FivePitch to NEW project: theblendjournal.com ABOUT PRESS INSIDER’S HOST: Kelly Bowerbank is a digital journalist, editor and content strategist with 16 years’ experience in the lifestyle sector. She has worked for multiple high-profile media brands, including woman&home, Marie Claire, The Stylist Group, and The Guardian. She has over eight years' experience crafting editorial strategies and leading teams, and has spent more than a decade commissioning, editing and creating content in various formats across a diverse range of subject verticals. In 2013 she was nominated for New Section Editor of the year at the PPA awards, and in 2020 she was nominated for Digital Editor of the year at the AOP ...
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    1 hr and 33 mins
  • PoliticsHome Editor, Laura Silver (S1:E9)

    PoliticsHome Editor, Laura Silver (S1:E9)
    Nov 11 2025
    Laura Silver was the Editor of PoliticsHome when this interview was recorded. At times Laura can be quietly spoken, but everything she says is worth hearing. She’s an all-round impressive person, but I asked her to be a guest on Press Insider because of her influence over the UK’s political media coverage. Her experience in news reporting is extensive, so while we drill down into the particular requirements of PoliticsHome, this is a useful episode for anyone who wants to pitch timely stories to any news outlets. Particularly as Laura has previously worked for quite a few of them, including The Mirror and Buzzfeed. Two quick notes about this episode. Since it was recorded, Laura has moved on from politicsHome, though is still working in news. The second thing is that this interview happened just before the UK general election last year. There’s lots of references to it, which has now been and gone. The good news is that while some content examples are no longer relevant, the advice is still very applicable and transferable. Laura tells us why you need to be in online community groups, the robust process to follow when reporting original news, why you should spend a lot of time in pubs if you want to be a political or news journalist. And, their freelance rates — a very rare thing for an editor to share indeed! KEY TOPICS: How to become a journalist at Politics HomeHow to become a trusted PR at Politics HomeHow to pitch an article to Politics HomeArticle pitch examples for Politics HomeHow to write an article for Politics Home magazineHow to get free press coverage at Politics HomeHow to become a regular freelancer at Politics HomeHow to future-proof your writing or PR career ABOUT THE GUEST: Laura Silver, Editor, Politics Home Editor specialising in politics and news. Extensive experience of digital publishing and multi-platform storytelling at a broad range of titles from start-ups to leading nationals. Find them on: Laura Silver’s Linkedin (where the above bio is sourced from)Laura Silver’s X LIST OF RESOURCES MENTIONED: The House magazine Subscribe to PoliticsHome newsletters, including the weekend long read mentioned Recommended websites for news ideas: Next DoorFacebook groupsPolitical Substackers ABOUT PRESS INSIDER’S HOST: Kelly Bowerbank is a digital journalist, editor and content strategist with 16 years’ experience in the lifestyle sector. She has worked for multiple high-profile media brands, including woman&home, Marie Claire, The Stylist Group, and The Guardian. She has over eight years' experience crafting editorial strategies and leading teams, and has spent more than a decade commissioning, editing and creating content in various formats across a diverse range of subject verticals. In 2013 she was nominated for New Section Editor of the year at the PPA awards, and in 2020 she was nominated for Digital Editor of the year at the AOP awards. She’s mentored experienced print journalists and trained graduates into award-winning digital writers. In 2022 she stepped down from her role of Global Editor at womanandhome.com to go freelance and write more. She’s represented by Anna Pallai at AMP Literary. Follow Kelly Bowerbank’s InstagramSubscribe to Kelly Bowerbank’s SubstackFind Kelly Bowerbank’s Linkedin SUPPORT THIS PODCAST: Share this episode: Every share of this episode makes another season more likely. If you enjoyed listening, share Press Insider with your network on Whatsapp, Linkedin and on your favourite social media platforms. It can be found on all the main podcast networks including: Apple podcastsSpotifyAmazon music Follow the host on social media: Follow Kelly Bowerbank’s InstagramSubscribe to Kelly Bowerbank’s SubstackFind Kelly Bowerbank’s Linkedin Email feedback: Send feedback about this episode and suggestions for future guests to pressinsiderpodcast@gmail.com
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    1 hr and 11 mins
  • Stylist Associate Editor, Meena Alexander (S1:E7)

    Stylist Associate Editor, Meena Alexander (S1:E7)
    Oct 14 2025
    Meena Alexander was the Associate Editor at Stylist magazine when this episode was recorded. She has since gone freelance, but if you want to pitch to Stylist, her advice stands because she knows the brand inside and out. In 2018 she left The Times to join Stylist, rising from sub editor, to features editor, features director and finally associate editor. She achieved a lot there, and has the awards to prove it: she was one of Campaign MediaWeek's 30 Under 30 in 2022, and in 2023 she won Best Section Editor at the BSME Talent Awards and PPA’s Next Gen Award. She’s also the author of How To Be Curious: Ideas To Make You Think Differently, which was published in 2024. Honestly, she’s a massive over-achiever, but she’s so great that you can only be happy for her. The good news is that after listening to her advice you might be a massive over-achiever too, as she shares details of a 3 line formula to pitch timely ideas, the one thing you can include in a pitch that will blow the Stylist team’s mind, and why the conversations you have with friends and family are a good starting point for an idea. She also reveals what the team wants to see in their inbox more than anything. Like other Press Insider episodes, this interview was recorded last year. Expect sporadic mentions of 2024 news and events, but fret not, Meena’s insights are still right on the money today. KEY TOPICS: How to become a journalist at StylistHow to become a trusted PR at StylistHow to pitch an article to StylistArticle pitch examples for StylistHow to write an article for Stylist magazineHow to get free press coverage at StylistHow to become a regular freelancer at StylistHow to future-proof your writing or PR career ABOUT THE GUEST: Meena Alexander, Associate Editor, Stylist Magazine Meena Alexander is an award-winning writer and editor. She writes features and profiles about people, trends and the cultural moment. She’s usually based in London but I’m currently on the move, working remotely in Southeast Asia. Formerly the Associate Editor of Stylist, she’s also held roles at The Times, edited books, judged literary prizes and hosted live panels. If words and big ideas are involved, count her in. She’s the author of How To Be Curious: Ideas To Make You Think Differently, published by Headline Books in February 2024. In 2023, she was named Best Section Editor by the British Society Of Magazine Editors and appeared on the PPA’s Next Gen list. In 2022, she was one of Campaign’s Media 30 Under 30. Find them on: Meena Alexander’s Website (where the above bio is sourced from)Meena Alexander’s InstagramMeena Alexander’s book on:AmazonBookshop.org LIST OF RESOURCES MENTIONED: Franchise examples that were referenced: Just CuriousFrame of MindProcessing Example articles: Keep trying to stop vaping but can’t? 5 women on how they finally managed to stopWhat it’s like to have untreated ADHD? Chaotic and isolating, so please don’t tell me it’s a trend or an excuse Inspiring staffers and freelancers: Amelia Tate Kat Brown ABOUT PRESS INSIDER’S HOST: Kelly Bowerbank is a digital journalist, editor and content strategist with 16 years’ experience in the lifestyle sector. She has worked for multiple high-profile media brands, including woman&home, Marie Claire, The Stylist Group, and The Guardian. She has over eight years' experience crafting editorial strategies and leading teams, and has spent more than a decade commissioning, editing and creating content in various formats across a diverse range of subject verticals. In 2013 she was nominated for New Section Editor of the year at the PPA awards, and in 2020 she was nominated for Digital Editor of the year at the AOP awards. She’s mentored experienced print journalists and trained graduates into award-winning digital writers. In 2022 she stepped down from her role of Global Editor at womanandhome.com to go freelance and write more. She’s represented by Anna Pallai at AMP Literary. Follow Kelly Bowerbank’s InstagramSubscribe to Kelly Bowerbank’s SubstackFind Kelly Bowerbank’s Linkedin SUPPORT THIS PODCAST: Share this episode: Every share of this episode makes another season more likely. If you enjoyed listening, share Press Insider with your network on Whatsapp, Linkedin and on your favourite social media platforms. It can be found on all the main podcast networks including: Apple podcastsSpotifyAmazon music Follow the host on social media: Follow Kelly Bowerbank’s InstagramSubscribe to Kelly Bowerbank’s SubstackFind Kelly Bowerbank’s Linkedin Email feedback: Send feedback about this episode and suggestions for future guests to pressinsiderpodcast@gmail.com
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    1 hr and 17 mins
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