Each Monday, we’re giving readers a chance to get to know the media a little better.
With a little flair.
Our goal is to give readers some insight into the work and work style of area journalists, and get to know a little bit about the person behind the byline. Start your week off with an online networking opportunity through our Media Monday blog post.
This Week: Jill Lightner, Edible Seattle
As the editor of Edible Seattle since it began publishing in 2008, Jill Lightner is equally passionate about locally-sourced ingredients and the abundance of imported cultures that make this region so tasty. Edible Seattle has won numerous awards for its editorial content, including a shared James Beard award for Best Publication, in 2011. Previous to her work with the magazine, she was a Seattle-based food writer for nearly a decade. Jill started cooking at the age of six, when her parents let her use the kitchen stove instead of caving in to her incessant demands for an Easy Bake oven. After a few months of practice, her biscuits won second place in Pennsylvania’s Lancaster County Fair, which is the closest she’s ever come to being a professional chef.
Q: What’s your favorite story you’ve done in the last week?
A: We just wrapped up the September issue, which includes two great pieces on chicken. One explores the issue of retired layers (also known by the unflattering “old hen” phrase, poor ladies) and the other is more investigative, looking at the standard CornishX grocery store bird compared to heirloom breeds.
Q: What skills do new journalists need?
A: New ones need exactly what old ones need—persistence, thoughtfulness, attention to detail and great writing skills.
Q: If you weren’t working at your current job, what would you be doing?
A: A lot of people have urged me to start a pickle company. I guess the homemade ones are pretty good! In my dreams, though, I run a finishing school called The Lightner School of Deportment for Budding Revolutionaries.
Q: Finish this sentence: “A good PR person is …”
A: Accessible when I need them, tolerant of some very tricky or obscure questions from me, and doesn’t waste my time with poorly targeted pitches.
Q: What hidden talent or skill do you have that viewers/readers don’t know about you?
A: I’m a great poker player—my dad got me started when I was about 7.
The PR Pro Takeaway: This journalist is a true master of her craft. Her expertise in the culinary industry goes all the way back to the Easy Bake oven days. Be careful what you pitch for, here. If it’s not a new angle on food, or tips for her pickle business, it’s likely a waste of her time. Connect with Jill and Edible Seattle on Twitter and Facebook.