Describe your job.
I am the hospitality reporter for Atlanta Business Chronicle, a weekly business paper. That entails hotels, Delta Air Lines Inc., Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport, the Georgia World Congress Center, attractions like Zoo Atlanta, restaurants, etc. On top of that I do investigative pieces such as the Northern Arc and a recent series on the homeless.

What time/day is best to call?
Thursdays and Fridays are ideal, because of our deadline cycle. Something truly urgent (“Our company is relocating to Charlotte”), I need by Wednesday morning.

How do you like to be contacted? (e-mail, phone, fax, mail)
In order of best to worst: E-mail. Phone. Mail. Fax. Faxes get lost. E-mail is very reliable, non-perishable, and keeps your contact info in the computer for future questions/reference.

Which topics are hot right now? Which are not?
New is always hot for my readers. New restaurant to this market. New hotel going up. New president taking over. New product being introduced. All good stuff. Topically, I’d have to say things like corporate governance and CEO compensation are very relevant to my readers. Also, things that cost them money, such as taxes and fees, or make them money, like new products.

What's your most memorable experience with a PR person?
Good experience, and bad were both on Sept. 11. Nearly every PR professional I dealt with that week, under enormous, unprecedented pressure, did their jobs, responded well, and let us get stories in the paper for our readers. On the other hand, I got an invite to a sexy cocktail reception late that afternoon. The most appreciated professionals are aware of what’s going on in the reporter’s world.

Anything else you'd like Atlanta's public relations industry to know?
Be professional. Don’t take a ho-hum response or a complete lack of response personally. It’s not you, or your client, or even your idea. Sometimes we’re just busy or under orders or, hey, things just didn’t work out. That’s business. Don’t leave an angry voice message. And carrying a bad experience to the next idea/client/story doesn’t help your idea/client/story, and I don’t think it’s professional. By the way, this goes for me, too.

Our thanks to this month's Media Pro Guest Columnist.
Walter Woods
Restaurants and Hospitality
Atlanta Business Chronicle
404-249-1022
404-249-1058 fax
wwoods@bizjournals.com