Neil A. Carousso produces NewsNation original “Kurt’s Country” – a celebration of country music and a slice of Americana with host Kurt Bardella.
The Latest
Elevate Your Business Event: Media & Strategy Mastery
Mastering Media Strategies: Insights from Industry Veterans
The Multi-Tiered Approach to Gaining Exposure and Credibility. Become a Repeat Source for the Media
Husband Sent Flirty Texts before Mica Miller’s Death, Waitress Says
Kristi Noem on Retraction: Kim Jong Un ‘Should Not be in the Book’
Kevin O’Leary: AI bossware can ID protesters and bar them from jobs
Neil A. Carousso Joins Growing NewsNation Network
Neil A. Carousso Departing WCBS 880
Art Business Founded by Former Foster Child Speaks to the Human Experience
1010 WINS Small Business $10K Challenge: Small Business Owners Make their Pitch for $10,000
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Elevate Your Business Event: Media & Strategy Mastery
Carousso Enterprises founder Neil A. Carousso and Moving Forward Small Business founder Jimmy Newson hosted a workshop in New York City for fellow entrepreneurs, business leaders and marketing managers on January 28, 2025.
The program focused on enhancing media engagement, digital marketing and business strategy development. It included sessions with WABC business reporter Joe Connolly and Harris Digital’s Christian Ladigoski.
Attendees also had an opportunity to network with industry leaders and media professionals.
Check out the post-event recap video above and email us to learn about our next workshop.
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Mastering Media Strategies: Insights from Industry Veterans
In a recent power webinar, host Jimmy Newson, The Impact Influencer, delved into the intricacies of media strategies, branding, and storytelling with two seasoned professionals: Joe Connolly, long-time business news reporter at WCBS 880 and now WABC Radio in New York with 25 years of experience, and Neil A. Carousso, a TV producer at NewsNation and owner of a media production company.
This session is a treasure trove of actionable advice for businesses looking to enhance their visibility and engagement with the media. Here, we break down the key insights and tips shared by Joe and Neil, providing a comprehensive guide to mastering media strategies.
Understanding Newsworthiness: Joe’s Perspective
Joe, with his extensive background in journalism, offers a deep dive into what makes a business or entrepreneur story newsworthy. Here are his key points:
1. Identify the Hook
- Relevance: Ensure your story is timely and relevant to current events or trends.
- Human Interest: Stories that evoke emotions or highlight personal journeys tend to capture attention.
- Impact: Demonstrate how your story affects the community or a specific audience.
2. Crafting the Pitch
- Conciseness: Journalists receive numerous pitches daily. Keep yours concise and to the point.
- Clarity: Clearly articulate the main points and why your story matters.
- Supporting Data: Include relevant statistics or data to back up your claims.
3. Building Relationships
- Personal Outreach: Pick up the phone and engage in direct conversations with journalists.
- Follow-Up: Be persistent but respectful in following up on your pitches.
Authentic Storytelling: Neil’s Approach
Neil emphasizes the importance of genuine and authentic storytelling to resonate with a wide audience and skeptics alike. Here’s how to achieve that:
1. Be Authentic
- Transparency: Be open about your journey, including both successes and challenges.
- Consistency: Ensure your brand message is consistent across all platforms.
2. Engage Your Audience
- Narrative Techniques: Use storytelling techniques such as character development and conflict resolution.
- Visuals: Incorporate compelling visuals to enhance your story.
3. Resonate with Skeptics
- Credibility: Build trust by providing verifiable information and testimonials.
- Relatability: Share stories that your audience can relate to on a personal level.
Effective Media Engagement
Both Joe and Neil stress the importance of effective communication and personal outreach in media relations. Here are their combined insights:
1. Understand Your Audience
- Research: Know the interests and needs of the media outlet’s audience.
- Tailored Pitches: Customize your pitch to align with the audience’s preferences.
2. Provide Value
- Expert Insights: Offer unique insights or expert opinions that add value to the story.
- Exclusive Content: Provide exclusive content or angles that haven’t been covered before.
3. Persistence and Timing
- Follow-Up: Don’t be discouraged by initial rejections. Follow up at appropriate intervals.
- Right Timing: Pitch your story when it’s most relevant to current events or trends.
Leveraging Social Media
The conversation also touched on the importance of leveraging social media for business promotion. Here’s how to do it effectively:
1. Content Creation
- Quality Over Quantity: Focus on creating high-quality content that resonates with your audience.
- Consistency: Maintain a consistent posting schedule to keep your audience engaged.
2. Strategic Posting
- Platform-Specific Content: Tailor your content to suit the platform you’re posting on.
- Engagement: Actively engage with your audience by responding to comments and messages.
3. Networking
- LinkedIn: Utilize LinkedIn for professional networking and sharing industry insights.
- Behind-the-Scenes: Share behind-the-scenes content to give your audience a glimpse into your business operations.
Local Media Coverage
For small businesses, local media coverage can be incredibly valuable. Here’s how to secure it:
1. Local Relevance
- Community Impact: Highlight how your business impacts the local community.
- Local Events: Tie your story to local events or initiatives.
2. Budget Allocation
- Marketing Budget: Allocate a budget for marketing efforts to achieve long-term results.
- Professional Production: Invest in professional media production to enhance your visibility.
Becoming a Repeat Source
Joe and Neil also discuss the importance of becoming a repeat source for media outlets. Here’s how to achieve that:
1. Credibility
- Reliable Information: Always provide accurate and reliable information.
- Expertise: Position yourself as an expert in your field.
2. Persistence
- Consistent Outreach: Maintain regular contact with journalists and producers.
- Balanced Approach: Be persistent but avoid being overly aggressive.
3. Storytelling and Authenticity
- Engaging Stories: Continuously share engaging and authentic stories.
- Audience Connection: Focus on building a strong connection with your audience.
Conclusion
The insights shared by Joe and Neil in this episode provide a comprehensive guide to mastering media strategies, branding, and storytelling. By understanding what makes a story newsworthy, crafting authentic narratives, engaging effectively with the media, leveraging social media, and securing local media coverage, businesses can significantly enhance their visibility and engagement.
Jimmy’s closing remarks encapsulate the essence of the discussion: stay active, stay focused, and stay strong. By implementing these strategies, businesses can navigate the media landscape with confidence and achieve long-term success.
For more valuable insights and strategies, be sure to check out Joe and Neil’s work and stay tuned for future episodes. Join the “strategy line professionals” club and empower your business with the knowledge and tools to thrive in the media landscape.
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The Multi-Tiered Approach to Gaining Exposure and Credibility. Become a Repeat Source for the Media
Hosted by Moving Forward Small Business
Summary
The conversation focuses on strategies for impact in branding and storytelling, specifically in the context of small businesses. The guests, Neil A. Carousso and Joe Connolly, share their expertise as journalists and news reporters, offering insights on what makes a business or entrepreneur story newsworthy and how to approach narrating a brand story. They emphasize the importance of being genuine, personable, and succinct in communication, as well as the value of building relationships with journalists and leveraging earned media opportunities. The conversation also touches on the multi-tiered approach to gaining exposure and the need for preparation and practice when engaging with the media. In this conversation, Jimmy Newson interviews Neil A. Carousso and Joe Connolly about the importance of professional media production and how to leverage earned media for business growth. They discuss the value of clear messaging, the role of professional media in getting attention and targeting different audiences, and the impact of media coverage on businesses. They also provide insights on becoming a repeat source for media outlets, leveraging social media to amplify media coverage, and the importance of storytelling and behind-the-scenes content. The conversation concludes with tips for local businesses and the importance of budgeting for marketing.
Takeaways
- To make a business or entrepreneur story newsworthy, it is important to genuinely care about what you’re doing and communicate that passion to journalists.
- When pitching a story to the media, it is best to call and speak directly to reporters, as they appreciate hearing from the business owner themselves.
- Being succinct and focused in your pitch is crucial, as journalists are often pressed for time and need to quickly understand the value of the story.
- To resonate with a wide audience and skeptics, it is important to be genuine, authentic, and personable when narrating your brand story.
- Building relationships with journalists and being prepared for media opportunities, such as interviews, can help small businesses gain visibility and credibility.
- A multi-tiered approach to gaining exposure, including press releases, media appearances, and social media promotion, is necessary for effective brand storytelling.
- Practice and repetition are key to becoming comfortable and confident when engaging with the media and telling your business story. Clear messaging is crucial for capturing attention and engaging audiences.
- Professional media production can help businesses get the best product shots, media attention, and target different audiences.
- Being a repeat source for media outlets requires establishing credibility, being knowledgeable, and providing valuable information.
- Leveraging social media can amplify media coverage and reach a wider audience.
- Storytelling and behind-the-scenes content can be effective in showcasing a business and engaging customers.
- Local businesses can reach out to local media outlets and reporters to get coverage and build credibility.
- Budgeting for marketing is important for small businesses to ensure consistent growth and success.
Elevate your business and media strategy with actionable insights from our recent webinar replay, Maximize Your Media Presence. Unlock the power of impactful storytelling and strategic branding to significantly enhance your media visibility. Plus, explore the unparalleled benefits of our Strategy Alignment & Execution Membership for a hands-on approach to real-time strategy implementation, ensuring no business is left behind. Discover how our memberships not only provide you with exclusive access to a supportive community and significant discounts on our premium online courses, bootcamps, accelerators, and clinics but also offer bespoke press release services tailored to propel your brand forward. Don’t miss this opportunity to amplify your business growth and media influence. Visit Moving Forward Small Business now for more details and to become part of a movement geared towards your success.
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Husband Sent Flirty Texts before Mica Miller’s Death, Waitress Says
By Elizabeth Vargas, NewsNation
Produced by Neil A. Carousso
Editor’s note: This article mentions suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, resources or someone to talk to, you can find it at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline website or by calling 1-800-273-8255. People are available to talk to 24×7.
(NewsNation) — South Carolina pastor John-Paul Miller exchanged flirtatious messages with a waitress before and after his wife died by suicide, the server told NewsNation.
The waitress shared with NewsNation a receipt she received from a customer Feb. 23. The receipt bears the name John-Paul Miller and includes a $20 tip and a phone number with a happy face next to it.
He signed the receipt just two months before his wife, 30-year-old Mica Miller, filed for divorce.
The waitress, whom NewsNation agreed to identify only by her first name Christiana, reached out to John-Paul Miller soon after and exchanged text messages.
He repeatedly asked Christiana to send pictures of herself, including bikini pictures, and called her “super hot.” The pastor never asked to meet in person, she said.
“I was pretty aware of things from the beginning,” Christiana said. “I had some suspicions. There were some red flags. I did some research before I even texted him and then after I did, I spoke with a friend of mine, whose friend had a very negative experience — a mortifying experience, really — with him and his church.”
Christiana declined to share specifics about that experience, saying it was the other woman’s “story to tell.”
“I know that she witnessed some things that were not appropriate and faced some harassment when she tried to speak out about it,” Christiana said.
Their correspondence stopped until news broke of Mica Miller’s death. Christiana then reached back out to John-Paul Miller.
“I asked him if anything was new and he more or less said, ‘Yes, lots new lol. I’ll text later,’” Christiana said.
The Robeson County Sheriff’s Office is investigating Mica Miller’s death after her body was found April 27 at Lumber State Park in Lumberton, North Carolina. She died of apparent self-inflicted fatal wound, according to police and the medical examiner.
John-Paul Miller announced her death the following day to his congregation, claiming the 30-year-old had taken her own life after struggling with mental illness.
“I got a call late last night, my wife has passed away,” John-Paul Miller said. “It was self-induced and it was up in North Carolina. ”The pastor asked the congregation not to discuss her death inside the church.
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Kristi Noem on Retraction: Kim Jong Un ‘Should Not be in the Book’
By Elizabeth Vargas, NewsNation
Produced by Neil A. Carousso
- The South Dakota governor avoided directly admitting the claim was untrue
- She accused tribes of allowing cartels on reservations
- She defended her decision to shoot and kill her dog
(NewsNation) — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem acknowledged removing a reference to meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un from her book, wavering when pressed on whether it was inaccurate during an interview on NewsNation’s “Elizabeth Vargas Reports.”
Noem, a Republican considered a potential 2024 vice presidential pick, avoided directly admitting the claim was untrue when asked about the retraction. But after numerous follow-ups, the governor said, “This anecdote I should not have put in the book. And I asked (the publishers) to have it taken out, and it is.”
Noem’s book has faced scrutiny for including the anecdote describing her meeting the North Korean leader while traveling during her days in Congress. After multiple reports raised questions about its accuracy, a spokesperson for her office said Kim “was included in a list of world leaders and shouldn’t have been.”
The Associated Press noted Noem traveled to China, Japan and South Korea as part of a congressional delegation in 2014.
Noem defended not initially copping to the inaccuracy, saying, “I don’t talk about personal meetings with world leaders.” She said she “took responsibility for it” and that “the buck stops with me.”
Mike Pence and Donald Trump
Vargas asked Noem if former President Mike Pence did the right thing by refusing former President Donald Trump‘s request to reject the 2020 election results. Noem avoided directly answering, saying, “I don’t answer hypothetical questions” because “the law has been changed” since then.
She also criticized Pence for not endorsing Trump.
“Mike Pence not endorsing President Trump right now, he’s basically endorsing Joe Biden. And that’s just hard for me to believe,” she said.
When asked if she’s still in the running to be Trump’s 2024 vice presidential pick after attending a GOP event with potential VP candidates, Noem said, “I don’t know. I’ve told President Trump that he needs to make sure that he picks someone who helps him win.”
She said she wants Trump “to be successful. I’ll do all I can to be helpful with that.”
Border, tribal reservations and rural land
Noem alleged Native American tribal leaders in her state are allowing drug cartels to operate on reservations with impunity, contributing to the national border crisis.
She said three reservations in South Dakota have banned her from visiting after she said cartels are trafficking drugs and humans from the reservations.
“We have the cartels set up in South Dakota,” Noem said, adding that a cartel member reportedly kidnapped an FBI agent in the state.
She accused tribal presidents and councils of protecting the cartels because “I have no jurisdiction there” on reservations. Noem said she has offered to help enforce laws, but tribal leaders retaliated by “banning me” instead of the cartels.
“Why don’t you ban the cartels, the ones who are trafficking the drugs, who are abusing your children and your women and trafficking them?” Noem challenged.
Noem said the cartels’ presence shows the border crisis extends beyond southern states, alleging “dangerous criminals” and people on “terrorist watch lists” are entering the U.S. illegally.
On immigration, Noem backed Trump’s proposal for “the largest deportation in American history” of those who entered illegally. She criticized the Biden administration for “violating federal law” on border security.
Noem also accused the Chinese government of buying up rural land to control the U.S. food supply, calling it a grave national security threat that must be addressed.
“Most of our packing plants are owned by Chinese entities or Chinese investors,” Noem stated. “And now they’re coming in and buying up our land as well.”
She alleged that it is part of China’s long-running strategy to make the U.S. dependent on imported food as a means of control. Noem argued that past policies aimed to ensure America could feed itself for national security reasons.
“If we think a pandemic was scary, I can’t imagine what it would be like if we let China control our food supply,” she warned. “We should own our land. It’s in our best interest to have small family farms out on the land growing our food for us.”
Dog story fallout
Noem stood by her controversial decision to include an anecdote about shooting and killing her family’s dog for poor behavior years ago in her book “No Going Back” despite criticism the story was a political misstep.
The Republican governor said she wanted to be upfront about the “painful” choice rather than shying away from it like most politicians would.
“This book is filled with vulnerable stories, painful decisions that I’ve had,” Noem said. “And at that point in time, I had a decision between the protection of my children and the people that were in our lives and a dangerous animal that was killing livestock and attacking people.”
Noem pushed back on suggestions that rehashing the dog shooting was a political error given polls show 65 million U.S. households own pets. She said most elected officials would “run from the truth” and difficult decisions.
“I don’t do either of those,” Noem asserted. “I wanted them to know the truth. I wanted them to hear it in my words.”
NewsNation affiliate The Hill contributed to this report.
