With autumn here in the world of PR, there's a whole bunch of busy projects piling up. We've missed the hustle and bustle that comes with it — have you?

Either way, this is MA Family and welcome to Comms Rundown, our newsletter on PR and communications.

We can hardly believe it's already the fifth edition — time really flies! Thank you for sticking with us.

And now, let's dive right into September's roundup!

In today’s rundown:

❌ As usual: ads, self-promotion, paid posts, and generic tips

✅ Industry news and reporters’ moves

📅 Guide for PR networking at events

📝 PR tips and insights from the journalists

Blitz 🎯

1. TechCrunch has acquired StrictlyVC, a media startup, from longtime Silicon Valley journalist Connie Loizos — she has also been appointed Editor-in-Chief and General Manager of TechCrunch.

2. CoinDesk laid off 45% of editorial staff as it eyes deal to sell company. The Hash went on an indefinite extended hiatus on CoinDesk TV and the podcast network.

3. 404 Media, a new digital media company created, owned, written, edited by four journalists who until very recently worked at VICE’s Motherboard, officially launched.

4. Decrypt launched SCENE, a new pub that will tell people-focused stories about emerging tech and mass culture—fashion, art, entertainment, politics and more.

Guide For PR Networking At Events 🆕

With major tech events like WebSummit, Slush, Sifted Summit, and others just around the corner this fall, we prepared a guide to help you make the most of these opportunities and understand how to effectively leverage them to advance your PR goals.

In this guide you will:

💫 Discover the essential steps to successfully connect with reporters at events

💫 Learn how meticulous preparation, engaging interactions, and thoughtful follow-up can make a significant difference in building lasting relationships with media professionals

💫 Find out how to research reporters, craft compelling pitches, network effectively during events and maintain contact afterward

💫Dive into the concrete examples in our blog to maximize your PR efforts

Check it out!

Who's where? 👀

1. Nick Statt started as a senior producer on the Verge’s Decoder podcast.

2. Cristina Gallardo joined Sifted as as senior reporter — get in touch!

3. Tom Carter started as a business news fellow at Insider — he looks forward to getting stuck in so send him story tips or press releases!

4. Matt Rudd took up a new role as contributing editor at the Sunday Times from September.

5. Henry T. Casey now covers all sorts of gadgets as a writer, focused on technology, for CNN.

6. Adam Epstein joined the MorningBrew newsletter team as an editor.

7. Graham Starr started his new job as a Technology team leader at Bloomberg.

8. Anousha Sakoui joined Reuters as Editor, EMEA M&A, based in London, to lead the coverage of deals in the region.

9. Henry Foy started as the Financial Times Brussels bureau chief, leading a team of reporters covering the EU's good, bad and ugly: from war to economic malaise, climate change, busted budgets & an existential enlargement question!

10. Jenny Surane now leads Bloomberg's finance team in the UK and Middle East. With the new gig, she'll be relocating to London later this year.

11. Irina Ivanova moved over to Fortune with an expanded version of her earlier beat: wealth, inequality, climate change, work.

12. Megan Morrone finished her first week at Axios — she works on Gaming, AI+, and Codebook editions.

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Heads-up 🔜

Mood of the month 🧐

Getting back to work in PR after the summer break can be a bit of a challenge!

Workbook 📝

Good copywriting/messaging overview

TechCrunch updated the guidelines for bylines

Tips and insights 📚

Thank you for joining us for the fifth edition of our newsletter on communication and PR!

If you don't feel like this is something relevant for you, you can always unsubscribe below — otherwise, see you in October 🙌

Aleksandra from MA Family