Nicholas Rice is a Senior Editor at People magazine.
Welcome to this episode of Coffee with a Journalist! Today we sit down with Nicholas Rice, Senior Editor at People magazine, for a conversation about the ins and outs of working at one of the world’s most iconic publications. Get ready for actionable insights on how publicists can stand out in a packed inbox, what kinds of pitches catch Nicholas’s attention, and how collaboration happens behind the scenes at People. Nicholas also pulls back the curtain on managing breaking news over weekends, the importance of authentic relationships with publicists, and what sets People's newsroom apart from the cutthroat stereotypes you see in the movies. Plus, hear about the launch of the new People app and why Nicholas believes the magazine is stronger than ever. Whether you’re a publicist, journalist, or just a People superfan, this episode is packed with warmth, passion, and practical tips for thriving in media today. Grab your coffee and enjoy!
Click below to listen to the full conversation and read below for highlights from the interview:
Sources Nicholas Is Looking For
[00:13:55] BB:
That's okay. Good perspective. And also, are you going to be doing that for 20 years, Nicholas? You know, probably not. Like, it's just a moment in time in your people, life, lifetime, if you will. So that's good. Okay, I like that. Great. What about sources for you? Are you looking for sources?
[00:14:14] NR:
Yeah, I would say.
[00:14:15] BB:
What types are we talking about?
[00:14:16] NR:
Yeah, I mean, we're definitely always looking for sourcing, whether it's something tied to a specific person, whether it is tied to perhaps an event. We have sources we work with who might be in the know about certain people's lives, and they can give us a little bit of insight. Okay, is that person maybe going through a divorce? Is there something that we need to be on the alert for? There may also be sources where it's like, hey, I'm going to be covering the MTV VMAs or something, and they might be able to say to us, hey, there's a whole big surprise performance, and give us a little insight.
[00:14:47] BB:
Oh, okay, then on our end, do you like scoops? You like people with scoops?
[00:14:50] NR:
Yes, yes, definitely. Because you know what? At the end of the day. It helps us where it's like, then we can pre plan. Right. So rather than in the moment where it's like you're watching the show and then bam, Beyonce does a surprise performance and everybody's scrambling.
[00:15:03] BB:
Yeah.
[00:15:04] NR:
Like, beyond the beehive.
[00:15:05] BB:
Must be so fun when you're like, yeah, I knew that was coming out. Like, boom. Publish a published article within a minute.
[00:15:12] NR:
And they're like, wow. Like, they're fast. And we're just like, hair flip. Yep, we know.
[00:15:18] BB:
Yes, Nicholas. Oh, that must be that. That has to be like, so fun.
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Types Of Pitches That Nicholas Likes
[00:06:07] BB:
Okay. Nicholas, you said that you do have a couple of pitches that you've actually liked. Can you give us some sample? Because I'm sure it's not about the probiotic gummy.
[00:06:17] NR:
Yeah, thankfully, no. Like I was saying, what do we got? Yeah, yeah. So the ones where it's. It's got that subject line that's going to capture your attention. That's a great way to start off.
[00:06:27] BB:
And can we get click on a little bit more, like, oh, gets your attention—specifically written like a headline, specifically has your name in it? Like, what else grabs you where you're like, I’ve got to open that up? But you did say, like, okay, Perry, exclusive interview. So exclusive maybe is a grabber for you, if it's exclusive?
[00:06:45] NR:
Yeah, I think anything that kind of, like, differentiates it and makes it where it shows, like, okay, this is tailored to you. So if it says like for PEOPLE, if it says for Nicholas, for Nick, like, that type of stuff. And then of course, obviously there's like those keywords that are going to get us excited. Exclusive celebrity interview, red carpet pitch. Like, all these types of things that are gonna make you go like, okay, this is a little different than, like, flag.
[00:07:12] BB:
Yeah.
[00:07:12] NR:
Mavis Tires has a discount. And you're like, what. What does this have to do with me as a journalist?
[00:07:19] BB:
Yeah. No. Okay, so any more? So do you have, as you said, you have, like, a specific one? Do you want to share?
[00:07:25] NR:
Yeah. So a lot of the ones that stand out to me are the ones where it's just, you know, you look at it and—bam—within five seconds, you can get that feel of like, oh, okay, this is something for us. So I think, in addition to the subject line, just right off the bat: like, hey, Nicholas, we have so-and-so tied to this, or, hey, I want to pitch you this client. I want to pitch you to cover this event. I want to pitch you to attend this movie screening, this red carpet—just right there at the very beginning.
[00:07:51] BB:
Very clear.
[00:07:52] NR:
Yeah, just super clear. I'm a big bullet point guy. I'm a big organization guy, so I love bullet points. I - I love color coding. If you're going to highlight something in yellow and then highlight another key point in green, I'm going to be like, ooh, okay, what's going on here?
[00:08:05] BB:
Great.
[00:08:05] NR:
I love that type of stuff. I think just, like, right off the bat, just because, like I said, we're getting so many emails by the hour, by the day, that, like, just those things are going to make it stand out where you can then go and be like, okay, 1, 2, 3, bam, I'm into this, or 1, 2, 3, not for us. Let me know we're going to pass, type of a thing. I think, too, specifically, like, if we're getting pitched, say, for an interview or something, what I love is when reps will say to us, like, hey, these are all the things that they're open to talking about. And then I do love when reps will say to us, like, hey, these are all off-limits. Because obviously, you know, we've all been there as journalists, where we get into a call and we think, okay, this is happening, let's bring this up, and then their rep shoots it down. They're like, oh, no, we're not going to talk about that. And then you're just kind of sitting there like, okay, like, where do we go from here? Like, it creates that awkwardness. So I think, you know, if right from the bat you're getting all this information, it's, right, better prepare. And, yeah, there's none of those awkward moments.
Rapid Fire Pitching Preferences
[00:22:29] BB:
I love it. Oh, well, Nicholas, I have loved this so much. Oh, we do have this little, like, short, quick fire question set. So let me, let me just toss it out to you and you tell me what you think. If that sounds good, let's go. Okay, here we go. But wait, wait. Let me find my spot. Okay. Yes. Video or phone interview?
[00:22:46] NR:
Video.
[00:22:48] BB:
Same. Same. Bullet points or paragraphs in a pitch?
[00:22:52] NR:
Bullet points.
[00:22:53] BB:
Okay. Short or long pitches?
[00:22:57] NR:
Short and to the point.
[00:22:59] BB:
Okay. Yep. Who wants a long pitch? Yes. Images attached or a Dropbox zip file?
[00:23:07] NR:
Images attached.
[00:23:09] BB:
Yes. Same. I don't want to be clicking on the next thing. Okay. What about DMs of any sort or is everything, should it be in your email?
[00:23:18] NR:
Yeah, I do feel strong. I think email is the best spot. I do think there are those exceptions like, say something is like extremely inaccurate or something they're trying to get you as fast as they can. Yes, but it's just so much easier. We're always looking at our emails. We're always reading every single email. So we're not going to miss anything.
[00:23:37] BB:
I see. One follow up or multiple?
[00:23:41] NR:
I would say two at most.
[00:23:45] BB:
Two and done. Okay. Yes. Press release or media kit?
[00:23:45] NR:
Both.
[00:23:45] BB:
Okay. Both are good. Both work. Okay. And then is there a time you usually read pitches or is it just all the time?
[00:24:00] NR:
It's all the time. We don't.
[00:24:01] BB:
Saturday, Sundays. Yeah, exactly. Yes. Very good.
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