Media Leaders Share Insights on Journalism's Evolution
Seated (from l) are panelists Grant Marek, David Welch and Simone Aponte; standing are moderators Warner Johnston and Sarah Segal.
A recent PR Round Table event brought together three distinguished media professionals who shared valuable perspectives on maintaining credibility, adapting to changing audience behaviors, and building effective relationships in today’s challenging media landscape. The May 21 panel, held at the Mechanics’ Institute in San Francisco, featured Simone Aponte, VP and news director, KTVU Fox 2; David Welch, reporter, KCBS Radio; and Grant Marek, editor-in-chief, SF Gate. Co-moderators were Sarah Segal of Segal Communications and Warner Johnston of 5 Borough Communications, both members of the interim PR Round Table board.
A key theme was the shift away from "being first" toward ensuring accuracy in reporting. "We have gravitated away from wanting to be first, and I think it's a matter of getting it right is more important," noted Grant Marek, whose SF Gate reaches a million visitors daily. On maintaining credibility, Simone Aponte emphasized transparency: "When it comes to maintaining trust, our philosophy is to be a part of the community, to be as local as possible, and to lean into transparency." David Welch highlighted the importance of thoughtful reporting: "The two things I do every day with every story that I focus on is, first, once I've gathered what I need, I take a pause. That allows me to think about how accurate am I being? Am I including both sides?"
The panelists also addressed how they're reaching younger audiences through platforms like TikTok, with Aponte noting that each platform "is its own ecosystem, own language and its own culture. . . We can't just say, well, we're TV people. We actually have to speak to folks in their language."
For PR professionals, the panel offered practical advice:
Keep pitches concise (ideally two sentences).
Build relationships with journalists.
Understand that sometimes the most compelling story isn't what you initially think it is.
The event concluded with book signings by Curtis Sparrer, a principal of Bospar, who authored Game Face, the first children's book about tech PR, plus networking among attendees.
Note: This summary has been edited by a human following AI generation.
