Five Minutes With Matt Alderton.

Matt Alderton - Freelance Writer & Journalist

1. Tell us about your current occupation and how you landed such a fabulous job.

I’m a freelance writer and journalist who covers health and wellness, social justice, food, travel, technology, business, and the environment, among many other subjects. I studied magazine journalism at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism and ended up freelancing after several years in the trenches at an agency. It became pretty apparent to me pretty quickly that I wasn’t cut out for traditional office life. Plus, I didn’t want to become a manager. I just wanted to write. So … I made the freelancing leap, and I never looked back. That was 16 years ago!

2. What's your best advice for PR professionals?

When they lean into their symbiosis, PR professionals and journalists can make such great teams. At the risk of sounding selfish, I think that team dynamic functions best when PR professionals position themselves as “helpers.” If you approach a journalist wanting to be genuinely helpful — as opposed to just wanting to promote your client and serve your own interests that way — then the journalist will want to repay the favor, and the relationship can flourish. For example, I’ve had PR professionals reach out to suggest a relevant friend or acquaintance as a source when they hear I’m working on a story that might be a good fit, even though that person isn’t a client. I love that, because it shows that they want to be a resource for me even when there’s no immediate return for them. Likewise, I find it difficult when PR professionals pitch their clients to me cold, because that’s not how I personally work. I don’t have a “beat” — the subjects I’m working on are always changing — and I don’t always pitch my editors, preferring instead to take on whatever assignments they have on hand. So, pitching clients cold rarely bears fruit. Instead, I love it when a PR professional stays in touch and asks what I’m working on. That way, I can tell them what my needs are, and they can tell me if they have a client to match.

3. What's a fun fact about you?

This isn’t a fun fact, but … the funnest thing about me is my Boston terrier puppy, Tilly. She’s 1.5, and she’s a total ham.

4. Tell us about your favorite nonprofit and why.

My charity of choice is the Trevor Project. We’re living in a climate right now where LGBTQ people — and especially LGBTQ youth — feel extremely unsafe. Case in point: LGBTQ youth are more than four times as likely to attempt suicide than their peers. Things are especially bad for Black transgender and nonbinary young people, one in four of which have reported a suicide attempt in the past year. These statistics are awful and heartbreaking. Organizations like the Trevor Project save lives.

5. What's your favorite meal, movie, or vacation spot?

I’ll combine two out of three: Although I have so many favorite foods and travel spots, it’s hard to beat a plate of cacio e pepe in Rome. Yum!