--- title: "Coffee with a Journalist: Aaron Mok, Observer + Freelance - Blog" description: Discover how Aaron Mok from Observer prefers AI-related pitches, what sources he values, and his top tips for PR professionals to engage effectively. image: https://blog.onepitch.co/hubfs/Aaron%20Mok%2c%20Observer%20+%20Freelance.png --- [![OnePitch](https://blog.onepitch.co/hubfs/raw_assets/public/OnePitch_May2025/images/onepitch-logo-black.svg "OnePitch")](https://onepitch.co/) - [Product](https://onepitch.co/product-features/overview/) - Media Lists - [MFY Media Lists](https://onepitch.co/media-lists/build) - [DFY Media Lists](https://onepitch.co/media-lists/dfy-media-list-submit/) - Resources - [AI Tools Hub](https://ai-hub.onepitch.co/) - [Contact](https://onepitch.co/contact-us/support) ## Coffee with a Journalist: Aaron Mok, Observer + Freelance ![Coffee with a Journalist: Aaron Mok, Observer + Freelance](https://blog.onepitch.co/hubfs/Aaron%20Mok%2c%20Observer%20+%20Freelance.png) [Media Insights](https://blog.onepitch.co/tag/media-insights) [Coffee with a Journalist](https://blog.onepitch.co/tag/coffee-with-a-journalist) *[Aaron Mok](https://observer.com/author/aaron-mok/)is a freelance writer and AI contributor at Observer. *   During the episode, Aaron discusses how ChatGPT sparked his interest in the AI beat, the types of pitches and sources he prefers, and how PR professionals from AI startups can best engage with him.   Follow Aaron on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-c-mok/)and [X/Twitter.](https://x.com/aaroncmok?lang=en)   Click below to listen to the full conversation and read below for highlights from the interview:     [![CWJ View Transcription CTA](https://blog.onepitch.co/hs-fs/hubfs/CWJ%20View%20Transcription%20CTA.png?width=228&height=48&name=CWJ%20View%20Transcription%20CTA.png)](https://blog.onepitch.co/hubfs/CWAJ232%20-%20Aaron%20Mok%2c%20Observer%20+%20Freelance-1.pdf)   ## ***Aaron Breaks Down Preferred Pitches & Sources  ***   \[0:04:18\] AM: I would say the stronger the subject line, the better I tend to like skim through things very quickly. So, if I see embargo or exclusive interview or something about AI related to the news that'll capture my attention more. \[0:04:36\] BB: Okay. Then in terms of the pitch inside the email, what do you like to see? Do you like exclusive interviews? \[0:04:41\] AM: Yeah. I do like then embargoes. If there's any interesting data coming out around AI and its impact. I'm interested in that. I also like news stories that are counterintuitive. So yeah, like there's this whole narrative right now about AI potentially replacing jobs. If I see a pitch that says AI could compliment your job, that's something that would interest me, because it goes against what's widely said. \[0:05:15\] BB: Okay. you're looking for maybe avant-garde, maybe counterintuitive type of people. Then so speaking of that, sources for you look like what? \[0:05:26\] AM: I am particularly looking for a few different types of sources now. I'm interested in how businesses are using AI internally. How they adopt tools like ChatGPT to make their processes more efficient. For example, people who have used AI in interesting ways. I love to learning about that. Yeah, just like unique use cases for that. I'm interested in like embargoed climate tech deals specifically related to clean energy. That's something that I'm covering more closely now. Just executives at companies that are open to being candid. They're not just here to sell me a product. They're here to talk about what's working, what's not working, any challenges they're facing. \[0:06:07\] BB: you want them to spill the beans a bit. \[0:06:09\] AM: Yeah. Just a little bit. \[0:06:10\] BB: Just a little bit. You don't have to say damn everything, but yeah, exactly. \[0:06:13\] AM: I also am interested in talking to people who work at companies. Engineers, people on sales teams. If you want to give me an inside look at what's going on. Then that work. \[0:06:26\] BB: No, wait a second. You don't hear that one too often. People with sales teams. So, why is that? Because they're going to be able to tell you, hey, this is what's resonating or not. You really hear like, oh yeah, let me talk to the sales rep. \[0:06:37\] AM: Yeah. Maybe not like sales reps in particular, but it's people internally, like anyone who's not an executive, just a normal employee, middle manager. I find that talking to like those people have more interesting anecdotes and are more honest about what's going on at a company versus talking to an executive who is just trying to make the company look good and safe. \[0:07:01\] BB: Yeah. \[0:07:01\] AM: Talking points. \[0:07:01\] BB: You want to hear the scoop.   ![Line for blog](https://blog.onepitch.co/hs-fs/hubfs/Line%20for%20blog.png?width=5052&height=192&name=Line%20for%20blog.png) ### Want to pitch Aaron and other journalists like him?   Click below to sign up for OnePitch and use these insights in your next pitch!   [![Create Account](https://blog.onepitch.co/hs-fs/hubfs/hub_generated/resized/7052357d-9f75-4e56-84e8-25dfef6dcee5.png?width=250&height=52&name=7052357d-9f75-4e56-84e8-25dfef6dcee5.png)](https://onepitch.co/account/create?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=cta&utm_campaign=coffee-with-a-journalist) ![Line for blog](https://blog.onepitch.co/hs-fs/hubfs/Line%20for%20blog.png?width=5052&height=192&name=Line%20for%20blog.png)   ## ***Subject Lines That Work and Pitches That Don't***   \[0:07:50\] AM: Yeah. Subject lines, the AI revolution needs a green makeover. Unlocking the secrets of consumer psychology and tech innovation. Overcome the positive syndrome of these techs. \[0:08:04\] BB: For you, what stood out for those? \[0:08:05\] AM: The first one, "The AI revolution needs a green makeover," that was one that spoke out to me, because I was doing a story on the carbon impact of AI data centers. I was interested in the solutions to that, it just so happened that I got this pitch with the subject line and it immediately caught my attention. It was a source that was exactly what I was looking for. It was both like timely. Also, relevant to my story. \[0:08:36\] BB: Okay. Is there subject lines you see, Aaron, you go, “Oh, please, no. Please.” Any or anything where you're like, “No.” This drives me crazy with pitches? \[0:08:48\] AM: Yeah. I got a lot of pitches unrelated to what I write about. It’s about what I'm thinking off the top of my head is here are five tips to overcome imposter syndrome. I don't write about the how, the wellness, anything like that. I also get pitches for different products, because should maybe it's mentioned this earlier, but on top of AI, I also write about climate change and sustainability. It's usually more on the business and tech angle, but I tend to see pitches of sustainable swimwear, or sustainable cups, and lots of products that I frankly have no interest in. Yeah, please don't send those to me. \[0:09:29\] BB: No, we don't want to see those. Okay.     ## ***PR Pet Peeves***   \[0:12:29\] AM: Yeah. One thing that I've encountered is when PR professionals over promise. What I mean by that is there's been incidents where I've been offered an interview. I say, yes, and I take it. Then it turns out they're not available by my deadlines or they can't do it anymore for whatever reason. It's an issue, because I tend to base my deadlines around getting access to sources. So, if I pitch an editor being like I have this interview secured, my deadline is in two days and I can't get it, then the story gets it's done. \[0:13:06\] BB: Yeah, exactly. Yeah. This is a pet peeve I've heard numerous times on the show is like, you're like, “Oh, my gosh. I have this person. This person. This person.” Then you're like, “No, you don't.” Because you can't get me that person until three weeks later. \[0:13:18\] AM: Exactly. \[0:13:19\] BB: Yeah. Okay. What else did you want to add? \[0:13:20\] AM: Yeah. I cover business and tech and sometimes I get pitches that are too product focused. I think the tricky thing about being a business journalist is that you have to balance the line between writing about the business, but also not doing marketing for them. So, when I do tech stories, I want to understand why it's important as supposed to how the product, why the product is great or what the product can solve, because it's not really my job to try to do for marketing. \[0:13:53\] BB: Introduce that. Yeah, exactly. Anything else? \[0:13:57\] AM: Please don't pitch me through signal or text. \[0:14:00\] BB: Oh, oh, yeah. No, no. First of all, how do you find your text? What? No. \[0:14:05\] AM: I do have my number. \[0:14:07\] BB: Oh, no. Aaron, that's why then. \[0:14:10\] AM: Yeah. \[0:14:12\] BB: It's your own fault, sir. \[0:14:14\] AM: Yeah. It was helpful when I was at *Business Insider* getting scoops and sources would reach out to me about like things happening within the company that's I hear less from those people now. It's more PR people's just texting me saying, “Hey.”   ## ***Rapid Fire Pitching Preferences***   \[0:15:34\] BB: Good to know. Aaron, I have a quick rapid-fire question set. Are you ready? Great. Video or phone interview? \[0:15:41\] AM: Video. \[0:15:42\] BB: Oh, okay. Can we talk about that for a second? This is also a controversial one. Video, why is that? You want to see people's faces? Make sure they're not a bot. \[0:15:49\] AM: I do want to see people's faces. I also find that interviews are better when I could see them. It feels more authentic and genuine. I can pick up on cues where if someone is not interested or not knowledgeable about a certain topic. I'll change, it has a different question or if something's really talking a lot about something. I'll ask them more about it. Hopefully, we do the interview better. \[0:16:15\] BB: Plus, I think you get my take more attention as in my eyes are on the screen looking at you. Hopefully, that would be my fun. Okay. Bullet points or paragraphs in a pitch? \[0:16:28\] AM: Bullet points. \[0:16:30\] BB: Short or long pitches? Probably short. \[0:16:32\] AM: Short. \[0:16:34\] BB: Images attached or a drop box zip file? \[0:16:35\] AM: It doesn't really matter to me, but I would say images attached. \[0:16:41\] BB: Email or DM of any sort? \[0:16:43\] AM: Please email me. Do not DM me. \[0:16:45\] BB: No one wants a DM. Listen. One follow-up or multiple? \[0:16:49\] AM: I would say follow up two times tops. There'll be situations where they follow up every single day for like a week. \[0:16:58\] BB: Oh, no, no, no, no. \[0:17:00\] AM: I don't like that. \[0:17:00\] BB: I feel you. Direct or creative subject lines? \[0:17:04\] AM: Direct. \[0:17:05\] BB: Press release or media kit? \[0:17:06\] AM: Press release. \[0:17:08\] BB: Time that you read pitches or is it all the time? \[0:17:10\] AM: I usually read it first thing in the morning, maybe around nine, but my inbox isn't that crazy right now. I check every other day. \[0:17:20\] BB: Can we talk about that? Because did you in the previous life, what's the comparison here? Were you like, “Oh, my God, I always getting 400 emails a day.” Now, you're down. What's the gap? \[0:17:31\] AM: Yeah. When I was on staff, I was getting probably like 50, 60 emails a day. \[0:17:37\] BB: Just pitches? \[0:17:38\] AM: Just pitches from a different yard. Now, it's more like 10 to 15 a day. \[0:17:45\] BB: Okay. Yeah, as you mentioned, or even four or five. Let me ask you this further. Did you have a different strategy than when you were full time there? Did you go through all the pitches like you do now? \[0:17:55\] AM: I'm not really inbox zero person. A subject line that wasn’t interesting, I would just ignore it and keep going. I don't even click them. But similar to what I do now, it something really sticks out, like if it's counterintuitive or if there's an interesting data point or an interesting source relevant to a story I'm working on. I pull that – \[0:18:14\] BB: Well, those are all my rapid-fire questions for you.   \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_   You can find more conversations with journalists from leading outlets when you subscribe to the ***[Coffee with a Journalist](https://onepitch.co/podcast)*** podcast to get the latest insights as soon as they drop. Don’t forget to ***[follow us on Twitter](https://twitter.com/onepitchsaas)*** for other updates on our newest tips, tools, and top strategies.   ### **Want more tips from journalists?** Fill out the form below to subscribe to Coffee with a Journalist and receive weekly emails highlighting reporters, journalists, and editors and their individual pitching preferences. #### The OnePitch Tea Get made-for-you media lists, interviews with amazing journalists from our podcast and live feedback sessions, and event opportunities with our Pitch Posse—everything you need to pitch smarter. #### Follow us Connect with us on social media [In](https://www.instagram.com/onepitchsaas/) [X](https://twitter.com/onepitchsaas/) [Li](https://www.linkedin.com/company/onepitchsaas/) [Tt](https://www.tiktok.com/@onepitch_saas/) [Yt](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyFUQD_FX-_VhtQNlen79fg/) #### Related topics Scroll to top [Get started today](https://onepitch.co/plg-v2-2025/step-1/) [![Footer Logo](https://blog.onepitch.co/hs-fs/hubfs/Footer%20Logo.png?width=180&height=33&name=Footer%20Logo.png "Footer Logo")](http://onepitch.co) [ln](https://www.instagram.com/onepitchsaas/) [X](https://twitter.com/onepitchsaas/) [Li](https://www.linkedin.com/company/onepitchsaas/) [Tt](https://www.tiktok.com/@onepitch_saas/) [Yt](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyFUQD_FX-_VhtQNlen79fg/) ©2026.All Right Reserved. - [Overview](https://onepitch.co/product-features/overview/) - [About Us](https://onepitch.co/about-us/team/) - [Contact](https://onepitch.co/contact-us/support/)