--- title: "Coffee with a Journalist: Monica Sager, Newsweek - Blog" description: Monica is a Newsweek reporter based in Boston. Her focus is reporting on breaking news. image: https://blog.onepitch.co/hubfs/Monica%20Sager%2c%20Newsweek.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: Monica Sager, Newsweek ![Coffee with a Journalist: Monica Sager, Newsweek](https://blog.onepitch.co/hubfs/Monica%20Sager%2c%20Newsweek.png) [Media Insights](https://blog.onepitch.co/tag/media-insights) [Coffee with a Journalist](https://blog.onepitch.co/tag/coffee-with-a-journalist) Monica Sager is a Reporter at Newsweek.   In this episode, Monica talks about her experiences covering major political events, the do's and don'ts of pitching stories, and the evolving landscape of AI and tech reporting.   Follow Monica on her socials below:   Twitter: [Monica Sager](https://x.com/MonicaSager3?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor)  Linkedin: [Monica Sager - Reporter - Newsweek | LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/monica-sager-259730162/)  Author Page: [Monica Sager](https://www.newsweek.com/authors/monica-sager)    Click below to listen to the full conversation and read below for highlights from the interview:     ![View Transcription ](https://blog.onepitch.co/hs-fs/hubfs/CWJ%20View%20Transcription%20CTA.png?width=228&height=48&name=CWJ%20View%20Transcription%20CTA.png)   ## ***Monica on What Types of News She Covers and What Makes an 'Interesting' Story ***   \[00:03:14\] BB: What a time. Wow. Okay. In brief, yes, Newsweek covers every dang thing. I forget the date, but it's been around forever, forever, ever, ever, so big national huge outlet. Tell us a little bit more about what you're now covering because, yes, you kind of sprinkled and gone all over the place. How would you define what you're looking for now? Especially since we'r recording this in December 2024, if you have any insight into your 2025 coverage areas, that would be great. \[00:03:41\] MS: I know that at least through the inauguration, a lot of our focus is on politics, probably will be as well afterwards. If this comes out after, still give me all those politics pitches. Before I focused on the election, I was covering a lot of AI, so I know that's one of our interests. I did a lot with open AI and ChatGPT and all that, but also just how it's affecting small businesses. \[00:04:06\] BB: Could you clarify that a little bit, too, wherein like, “What we work with is tech and those outlets.”? These are maybe not the open AIs, but they're like baby companies coming up. They’re venture-backed and such. Is that of interest as well? \[00:04:18\] MS: Yes, absolutely. Because AI is a new technology that no one really knows how it works. \[00:04:24\] BB: No one knows. Everyone's figuring it out. Everyone's figuring it out. It's all go Oh, gosh. Okay, Monica. Yes. \[00:04:31\] MS: Yes. But even beyond that, I'm interested in other stories. Whatever you want to be told, I have to always pitch it to my editor. But if it's an interesting story and it's breaking news, we are almost always going to go for it.     ![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 Monica and other journalists like her?   Click below to sign up for OnePitch and use these insights in your next pitch!   [![Create my Account](https://blog.onepitch.co/hs-fs/hubfs/Create%20my%20Account.png?width=250&height=73&name=Create%20my%20Account.png)](https://onepitch.co/plg-signup-v1/step-1) ![Line for blog](https://blog.onepitch.co/hs-fs/hubfs/Line%20for%20blog.png?width=5052&height=192&name=Line%20for%20blog.png)   ## ***Monica's Thoughts Subject Lines and Embargoes***   \[00:06:05\] BB: Okay. Are you by means a inbox-zero person? \[00:06:10\] MS: No. I always – I mean, say six months or so, I try to do a, “Oh, I can delete all these emails.” But it really builds up in between the times. \[00:06:20\] BB: Yes. So you just – are you a let-it-ride person then? \[00:06:23\] MS: I'll delete them. But if I read it, I normally forget to delete it, so then it just stays there. \[00:06:29\] BB: Then it's just there. Then it's just there. Then you said, for the ones that intrigue you, the ones that you're like, "Oh, hmm,” what's catching your eye for like, “This is one I have to open because this is where the subject line becomes the total slay.”? \[00:06:41\] MS: A lot of the ones that say embargo always interest me because that must mean that it's going to be something big coming up soon that we can even prepare for, rather than it just being, “Oh, it has to be done now.” We’ll obviously always acknowledge the embargo and respect that, but it also gives us a chance to go forward and dive deeper into it with them or do additional interviews. With that, we also get the ones that say like the interviews with CEO or like interview opportunity. I think those ones are also always catching my eye. ## ***Rapid Fire Pitching Preferences***   \[00:17:11\] BB: Yes. No. Okay. Monica, I have a little flash list of questions here if we can go int it, and you tell me what your answers are. \[00:17:20\] MS: I’m ready. \[00:17:21\] BB: First, video or phone interview? \[00:17:25\] MS: I say video allows me to actually clarify that it's the real person. \[00:17:30\] BB: Good point. \[00:17:31\] MS: Phone can sometimes be a little easier time-wise because I know people aren't always in front of their computer. That way, if you're driving or something, I can just hop on the phone with you and get all the questions done. Either way, I can still record with permission or type out, so it works for me. \[00:17:50\] BB: Bullet points or paragraphs? \[00:17:53\] MS: Bullet points, write out quotes. \[00:17:56\] BB: Write out quote. Okay. Short or long pitches? \[00:17:59\] MS: Short. \[00:18:00\] BB: Of course. No one answers long. Actually, on occasion. Images attached or a Dropbox zip file \[00:18:06\] MS: Dropbox zip file because then I have more options \[00:18:09\] BB: Okay. Twitter or a DM of some sort? \[00:18:11\] MS: Twitter. \[00:18:12\] BB: Wait, you said Twitter? You don't mind a DM on Twitter or X, whatever we're calling it now? \[00:18:21\] MS: I've gotten it before. I'm fine with – I would say emails is easier. But if you'r saying social media, then Twitter. \[00:18:28\] BB: Okay. Okay, got you. Okay. Now, one follow-up or multiple? \[00:18:33\] MS: One. It’s that. Like I said, it sometimes is annoying even the, “Hey, Veronica. Do you really want this?” \[00:18:40\] BB: Yes, yes, yes, yes. Direct or creative subject lines? \[00:18:44\] MS: Direct. \[00:18:44\] BB: Direct. \[00:18:45\] MS: Yes. I brought way more than I needed, but I had one that was like, “From Katz's diner to Alaska.” I was like, “What does that even mean?” \[00:18:54\] BB: Okay. Press release or media kit? \[00:18:56\] MS: Press release. Media kit often has too much information. \[00:18:58\] BB: Yes, too much in there.  \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_   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. 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