Pressing Matters – Details, episodes & analysis

Hello everyone. We've got a very special episode for you this month as we celebrate the pod's second anniversary. Given that AI is the topic of the decade, not just in tech and journalism, but the whole wide world, we asked two of our favorite guests back to discuss where this is all going. Jennifer Strong of the Shift Podcast, who also was a Pulitzer Fellow for AI accountability. And Connie Guglielmo, the former CNET executive editor, who for nearly two years now has been its SVP of AI edit Strategy. Together they are two of the foremost authorities on AI in the tech and journalism world. We brought them together to discuss AI as a technology, AI and journalism, and a few of our favorite quotes from this past season's guests for this episode of Pressing Matters from Big Valley Marketing, the podcast that brings you conversations with the top media and influencers in B2B tech. 

I'm Dave Reddy, head of Big Valley Marketing's Media and Influencers Practice, and I'm your host. Through research and good old fashioned relationship building, we've identified B2B tech's, top 200 media and influencers, including Jennifer and Connie. Here's our special chat about AI with Jennifer and Connie. Enjoy. Jennifer, Connie, welcome back to Pressing Matters. My first two repeat guests for this very special episode about AI in journalism.

In this edition of the Pressing Matters podcast, host Dave Reddy, head of Big Valley Marketing's Media and Influencers Practice, speaks with Jennifer Strong, a seasoned podcaster who began her radio career at 12 in Tennessee. Jennifer's extensive experience includes work with NPR, The Wall Street Journal, and MIT Tech Review. Now at Shift, she produces and hosts podcasts that delve into AI and other emerging technologies, addressing their global impact and the challenges they present. In this episode, we explore her deep coverage of AI and discuss how she’s working to ensure these technologies make a positive difference in the world.

Alex Konrad is a senior editor at Forbes, covering venture capital and startups. He edits the Midas List and Under 30 for VC. He's interviewed some of the world's most consequential business leaders and innovators. This time, though, he sits across the (virtual) table and answers some questions himself.

As you might surmise, the future is in play in this conversation. Welcome to the second episode of Pressing Matter's second season.

Are you interested in more from Alex Konrad?

• You can find him on X.
• Or on LinkedIn.
• His latest is on Forbes.

Who is Big Valley?
We're a communications firm focused on B2B technology, with a team of experts specializing in brand positioning, narrative and story development, media and influencer relations, and channel planning.

You can learn more about our team at www.bigvalley.co

Have an idea for Pressing Matters? Email pressingmatters@bigvalley.co

Evan Kirstel is a true B2B and technology influencer with more than 300K social media followers. A prolific content creator, he boasts a network including a who's who of technology leaders, visionaries and pundits.

Hear from the man himself on how he got started in technology, his feelings on the state of the industry and the technology he's keeping tabs on (ahem, AI, of course).

Welcome to Season 2 of Pressing Matters!

Are you interested in more from Evan Kirstel?

• You can find him on X.
• Or on LinkedIn.
• He also has a website.   

Who is Big Valley?
We're a communications firm focused on B2B technology, with a team of experts specializing in brand positioning, narrative and story development, media and influencer relations, and channel planning.

You can learn more about our team at www.BigValley.co

Have an idea for Pressing Matters? Email pressingmatters@bigvalley.co

Throughout season one of Pressing Matters, we've asked the world’s foremost B2B technology media and influencers one question.

Are you optimistic about the future of journalism?

Indeed, we believe there is much cause for optimism (as did many of our guests). New technology has raised new voices and revealed new avenues of expression. Yet we also see much cause for concern (as did some of our guests). AI is simply the latest threat to journalism and the concept of journalistic standards. As a collective, we continue to grapple with the ever-diminishing line between good and good enough.

In this episode, Pressing Matters host Dave Reddy is joined by two Big Valley colleagues, Ashley Paula-Legge and Charles (Coop) Cooper to reflect on a season of answers to our questions on the future of journalism and ponder their responses.

Who is Big Valley?
We're a communications firm focused on B2B technology, with a team of experts specializing in brand positioning, narrative and story development, media and influencer relations, and channel planning. You can learn more about our team at www.BigValley.co

Have an idea for Pressing Matters? Email pressingmatters@bigvalley.co

Sue Marek is a 25-year veteran of the telecom and technology industries, where she's covered many seismic evolutions in wireless technology and personal computing. Based in Colorado, the former "Cable Capital of the World," Sue has seen mobile devices go from curious luxury to everyday tools. 

In this episode, she joins Dave to talk about that experience and her opinions on new horizons, such as what it will take to realize true 5G.
 
Who is Big Valley?
We're a communications firm focused on B2B technology, with a team of experts specializing in brand positioning, narrative and story development, media and influencer relations, and channel planning. You can learn more about our team at www.BigValley.co

Would you be interested in more from Sue?

• Read Sue Marek's writing on Fierce Wireless.
• You can find her on X (Twitter) at @SueMarek.

Have an idea for Pressing Matters? Email pressingmatters@bigvalley.co

Lucinda Shen has been around the world and back (several times), and we are flattered to have her on the 11th episode of Pressing Matters to tell us about it! Lucinda covers financial technology (fintech) for Axios.

In this interview, she shares her thoughts on crypto, its leaders and–as always–thoughts on the future of journalism. Will it replace us all? Thanks for listening!
 
Who is Big Valley?
We're a communications firm focused on B2B technology, with a team of experts specializing in brand positioning, narrative and story development, media and influencer relations, and channel planning. You can learn more about our team at www.BigValley.co

Would you be interested in more from Lucinda?

• Read Lucinda Shen's writing on Axios.
• You can find her on Twitter at @ShenLucinda.

Have an idea for Pressing Matters? Email pressingmatters@bigvalley.co

It is an interesting time to be a technology editor, and our guest this week brought all kinds of interesting topics with him! Harry McCracken, Global Technology Editor at Fast Company, joins Dave to talk about covering life-altering technology as it comes of age, coding games on a TRS-80, and bidding adieu to computing magazines.

Join us!

Who is Big Valley? We're a communications firm focused on B2B technology, with a team of experts specializing in brand positioning, narrative and story development, media and influencer relations, and channel planning. You can learn more about our team at www.BigValley.co

Would you be interested in more from Harry?

• Read Harry's writing for Fast Company.
• You can find him on Twitter at @harrymccracken.

Have an idea for Pressing Matters? Email pressingmatters@bigvalley.co

Cory Johnson, CEO of the Business Podcast Network, joined Dave on the podcast to talk about SLAM 🏀 Magazine, surprising Carmelo Anthony, the stories we tell and where we choose to tell them, a past (and potential future) in music ... so much ground was covered. We are excited to bring it to you!

Who is Big Valley? We're a communications firm focused on B2B technology, with a team of experts specializing in brand positioning, narrative and story development, media and influencer relations, and channel planning. You can learn more about our team at www.BigValley.co

Would you be interested in more from Cory?

• Listen to Cory on The Drill Down Podcast. 
• You can find him on Twitter at @CoryTV.

Have an idea for Pressing Matters? Email pressingmatters@bigvalley.co

Dark Reading Editor in Chief Kelly Jackson Higgins graciously accepted our invitation, even as momentum for RSA 2023 gathered steam. Kelly and Dave covered a lot of ground in the episode, moving effortlessly from the dominance of U.S. Women's Soccer to the wild (and wide) world of Cybersecurity, then back to ... Dave Matthews?

This is a deep and fascinating conversation. We're thrilled to bring it to you.

Who is Big Valley? We're a communications firm focused on B2B technology, with a team of experts specializing in brand positioning, narrative and story development, media and influencer relations, and channel planning. You can learn more about our team at www.BigValley.co

Interested in what we're doing at RSA? The Big Valley team has kept its pencils sharp, drafting some great content leading up to RSA. We're biased, but you should still check in here.

Interested in more from Kelly?

• You can read Kelly's journalism here.
• Check out the great work her team is doing at Dark Reading.
• You can find her on Twitter at @kjhiggins.