Tales From the Beat Episode 127 -- Unpacking

TTAC Creator Ed Garsten hosts " Tales from the Beat," a podcast about the automotive and media worlds. A veteran reporter and public relations operative, Garsten worked for CNN, The Associated Press, The Detroit News, Chrysler's PR department and Franco Public Relations. He is currently a senior contributor for Forbes.

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A transcript, cleaned up via AI and edited by a staffer, is below.

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Transcript:

Ed Garsten – Tales from the Beat, Episode 127

Let’s see here. Misguided pitches, illiterate emails, and people begging for little chats—it’s all good stuff. I’ve been saving a lot of this in my duffel bag of dreck, so it’s time for one of those “haul” videos.

Hi everyone, I’m Ed Garsten, and welcome to episode 127 of Tales from the Beat, where we look at news and PR from both sides of the scrimmage line. It’s been a while since I’ve had a one-on-one chat with you, thanks to some great guests, so I’m looking forward to sharing some of the detritus that’s been piling up.

Like many reporters— even semi-retired, part-time freelancers like me— I end up on media lists that have about as much in common with me and my beat as Trump does with the truth. I’ve received some fun ones recently.

Just today, I got a pitch from a very nice PR person— I could tell through the email— about a Detroit-area company called Mosaic Cakes. It’s a family-owned business using a European recipe to, as Pedro from Napoleon Dynamite would say, “build me a cake.” The cakes look like mosaics— and they’re beautiful.

The email was well-written and offered three possible angles: the holiday season, fall gatherings, and a crafting angle for creating those little triangles of deliciousness. I loved the pitch. It was concise, creative, and sounded fun— if my beat weren’t strictly autos and mobility.

Still, it got me thinking: with hands-free driving tech, could you barrel down the freeway while enjoying a slice of Mosaic Cake? Possible, sure— but then I imagined someone licking frosting off their fingers right as the hands-free system disengages, ending up wrapped around a utility pole with a face full of blood and frosting. Probably a stretch. So I had to pass. A pity, really.

Earlier this week, I got a pitch with the subject line: “Media Trip Opportunity.” No clue what it was about, but I opened it anyway. Turns out, it was from the Vanuatu Tourism Office. Not exactly a trip invitation— more of an application process to be considered for one of four spots to tour the islands off the northeast coast of Australia.

Applicants were told to click a link to apply, with the note that “all applications will be reviewed by the Vanuatu Tourism Office,” and we’d be contacted if approved. They didn’t say what the selection criteria were, but maybe they wanted a photo of me in a Speedo and Panama hat, a video of my coconut-cracking skills, or proof I’ve watched every episode of Survivor— which, unfortunately, I have.

Still, I had to pass. Vanuatu isn’t exactly a suburb of Detroit, and my freelance clients don’t cover travel expenses. Besides, how would it fit my beat? I did learn there are a few dealerships and rental agencies in Port Vila— several featuring large vans. Not that there’s much road to drive on. Maybe people use the vans as in-law suites. Probably a sign I should stop drinking cheap muscatel.

October’s been busy with automotive trade and industry shows around Detroit. I hate registering too far in advance because the moment you do, you’re swarmed by PR people begging to “have a chat” or “grab coffee.” With rare exceptions, I turn down most of these “forced fellowship” offers for one reason: if I’m attending a show, I’m there to cover presentations relevant to my reporting.

If I’m stuck in PR’s version of Tinder because I swiped right on a matchmaker invite, I’m missing the very reason I came. I get it— I was in corporate PR for 11 years. Landing a reporter meeting is a win. But if it doesn’t result in a story, it wastes everyone’s time.

So, if you invite me to a meeting and have actual news or unique insight to share, I’m listening. But if it’s just to check a box, I’m checking “no thanks.”

A related scenario: I get emails like, “Will you be attending the [insert show name]?” If I say no, the reply is, “How about a virtual meeting after the show?” Still no. Then comes, “Flo’s in town till Tuesday— want to meet for coffee?”

If I accepted every coffee invite, I’d be shakier than the crypto market. Whatever happened to the days when meetings were held over martinis or doubles of Chivas on the rocks? Back then, you could loosen up sources, get them talking, and at least walk away with a story— and maybe a steak. That was real AI: actual interaction. Pitch me that, and we might clink glasses.

That’s it for this episode of Tales from the Beat. Thanks for tuning in. Please share, subscribe, and comment. I’m Ed Garsten, and I’ll be back soon with more tales. Take care.