Asa Hiken is a technology reporter for Ad Age, where he covers the intersection of Web3 and marketing, including crypto, NFTs and the metaverse. We spoke with him on his journey from studying creative writing to pursuing journalism full-time, his pitching advice for PR professionals, and how AI is shaking up the media industry.
How did you get into journalism?
I studied creative writing in college, and then I graduated and realized I needed a break from short stories. I knew I wanted to keep writing, so journalism felt like a good professional path to pursue. It wasn’t until I stumbled into business journalism, though, that I got my first full-time opportunity.
What makes for a good story? What do you consider essential components of a good pitch?
A good pitch, in my opinion, needs to show some kind of cause-and-effect. This company did X and saw Y outcomes. Or, our study found that more often than not A leads to B. I get pitches all the time that highlight the cause but mostly neglect the effect. I’m definitely biased because I write about businesses, but I usually need to see that relationship in the pitch to consider exploring it.
What is the biggest piece of advice you would give to young PR professionals who pitch you?
Be specific. Business journalists like to write about things that are happening, and how, not about things that could potentially happen at some unknown time. If you use real numbers and real outcomes, then you won’t need to do much persuading with your words.
What are some AI trends in the media that you’ve witnessed, and do you have any predictions about how the industry will look moving forward?
I’m ambivalent about AI and media. I’ll hear stories from colleagues that AI has helped them do things that are important for their daily work, such as proofreading or summarizing reports. These are people I trust, not some company blowing smoke. But I remain wary about how this technology will be used against us. A lot of the work done in media—journalism included—isn’t right-brain, “only-humans-can-do-this” type stuff. It’s processing information and re-packaging it as something else. And that’s what AI, with little human intervention, is particularly good at.
If you weren’t a journalist, what other career would you be interested in pursuing?
I would love to have studied the human brain, mostly from the perspective of cognitive science. Alas, I preferred writing essays to taking exams.
