By Mark Macias Founder of MACIAS PR | Former NBC Executive Producer
One of the most common questions I hear from startup founders, CEOs and marketing leaders is simple: “How long does it take to earn media coverage?” The honest answer: it depends.
Some stories generate media interest within hours. Others may take weeks to gain traction. The timing often has less to do with the quality of the company and more to do with the strength of the story, the news cycle and the relevance of the topic being pitched.
After spending years as an Executive Producer with NBC and CBS in New York, and working with journalists across national television, newspapers, magazines and digital media, I’ve learned one important lesson: reporters do not operate on your timeline. They operate on the news cycle.
Understanding that distinction can dramatically improve your chances of earning media coverage.
By Mark Macias Founder of MACIAS PR | Former NBC Executive Producer
One of the most common questions startup founders and technology executives ask is simple: How much does technology PR cost?
The answer depends on the goals of the company, the scope of work, the competitiveness of the industry and the experience of the public relations firm. Technology PR can range from a few thousand dollars per month for limited support to more than $30,000 per month for comprehensive national media campaigns.
The more important question is not how much technology PR costs. The better question is what results a company expects to achieve. And just because you are a startup, don’t assume you can’t afford PR. There are approaches to help every type of business.
Turning a Little-Known Medical Condition Into an International News Story
The Challenge
The Encephalitis Society wanted to raise awareness for World Encephalitis Day and educate the public about a neurological condition that remains largely misunderstood despite its potentially devastating consequences.
The organization wanted to increase visibility for new research, elevate expert voices, reach audiences across multiple countries, and generate meaningful media attention around a complex healthcare topic. The campaign generated coverage across the United States, Canada, and Spanish-language media markets, helping educate audiences internationally.
Under our media campaign, we turned complex medical research into accessible news stories that helped explain the long-term effects of encephalitis. MACIAS PR leveraged their scientific research into stories that people could understand and journalists would cover.
Our media campaign elevated a highly technical healthcare study into an international awareness campaign that generated more than 100 media placements across the globe, reaching an audience exceeding 565 million people. MACIAS PR positioned the Encephalitis Society as a leading voice in the conversation around neurological health and patient advocacy.
Why does PR sometimes feel so hard? Perhaps it’s because your team is looking at it from the wrong lens. A closer look at the MACIAS PR strategy that consistently leads to media coverage.
By Mark Macias Founder of MACIAS PR | Former NBC Executive Producer
When I was an Executive Producer with NBC, a publicist told me, “PR is hard.”
At the time, I couldn’t understand how her work could be more stressful than my job approving story ideas and scripts from some of the strongest media personalities.
Now I get what she was saying. Yes, PR and earned media is difficult. If you’re floating in the wind without a strategy, I’m sure it feels like a waste of time. But it’s not hard when you know what you’re doing.
The Misconception That Breaks Most PR Strategies
Over the years of running this PR agency for tech and healthcare startups, I’ve observed how most brands approach PR like marketing. They think:
If the message is strong → it should get coverage
If the company is interesting → reporters will care
If they push harder → results will come
But the media doesn’t work like that. Journalists aren’t waiting for your story, and no matter how many times you reach out to them, it’s unlikely they will think of you when another timely story hits their calendars.
Media Strategy Is About Alignment — Not Effort
A real PR strategy isn’t about sending more emails or spamming voicemails; It’s about alignment between – the news cycle, the reporter’s beat, the editorial window and your story.
PR and media relations is not just “getting coverage.” It’s about understanding what the media needs — and finding a way to position your brand into that window.
From the outside, the media might look chaotic but from the inside, it’s very structured. Newsrooms operate on efficient calendars and editorial timelines that keep the news train running on time. You can’t miss your story by even a minute with TV, or you will disrupt the entire news program.
The best publicists and PR agencies understand your story doesn’t compete with other PR pitches. It’s main competition is global events, breaking news and internal editorial programming calendars.
How do you deal with reporters who don’t seem organized? There is a formula behind their thought process, and once you understand it, you will have more success in dealing with them.
By Mark Macias Founder of MACIAS PR | Former NBC Executive Producer
Over the years, many publicists have asked me a similar question about the mindset of reporters.
The question is usually framed carefully – as if they don’t want to offend – but the overall premise is clear: “Why do so many reporters seem scatterbrained?”
I’ve observed it myself both inside the newsrooms of NBC, CBS, American Journal. I’ve also listened to smart reporters with intellectual media outlets jump between topics; forget a detail or seem slightly disorganized.
At first glance, it can feel chaotic, but there’s actually a reason for it. And once you understand it, working with reporters becomes much easier.
MACIAS PR was founded in 2009 by a former Executive Producer with NBC and Senior Producer with CBS in New York. Journalists and marketing peers consistently rank MACIAS PR as one of the best PR healthcare and tech agencies. City & State Magazine named Mark Macias a Top Political PR Power Player in New York in 2022 and 2024.
We help founders and brands tell stories that get noticed by the media. Our strategy is based on years inside NBC & CBS newsrooms where editorial judgment, timing and credibility are the currency for success.
At MACIAS PR, we turn complex brands into compelling media narratives that secure national headlines, elevate thought leadership, and drive real business outcomes. Links to client case studies for media deliverables are below.
Prominent Clients across Industries
Healthcare and Wellness
Noom, WellRX, Meru Health, Lifesum, Columbia University Medical Center, Kilo Health, Burke Hospital
Consumer Tech
Plenty of Fish, Welt, Abby Connect
Bootstrapped Startups
MDAcne, TopPatch (Cyber Security)
Publicly Traded Companies
Mawson Infrastructure (NASDAQ), Unusual Machines (NYSE), Banle International (NYSE)
Finance
Provident Loan Society, Sag Harbor Advisors, Sansar Capital
Politics
Former UN Executive Secretary on Climate Patricia Espinosa, Rep. Norma Torres (LA)
Our media campaigns helped these brands raise tens of millions of dollars with investors, while improving their name recognition with customers. Click here to review our case studies.
All of our clients always work with an experienced media strategist – regardless of size. And as a boutique PR consulting agency, our communications process is always streamlined, while our execution is hyper-focused.
PR Awards – Earned by MACIAS PR
City & State Magazine named Mark Macias a Top Political PR Power player in New York. Marketing peers have consistently recognized MACIAS PR for Strategic PR Firm of the Year from 2017-2021. Finance Monthly named our agency the 2015-2017 Financial PR Firm of the Year.
Message Mark at the bottom of this screen (green button on the right) if you would like to schedule a call. You can also get a free PR estimate by clicking here.
Media training lessons I learned as a former NBC and CBS Executive Producer
By Mark Macias Founder of MACIAS PR | Former NBC Executive Producer
Most executives think media interviews are about one thing: getting coverage. But after spending years inside newsrooms, including time as Executive Producer in New York — I can tell you something most people learn too late:
A reporter call is not a casual conversation. It’s a recorded moment in the public record.
Even great companies can find themselves misrepresented, taken out of context, or blindsided by a question they weren’t prepared to answer.
So if you want to protect yourself — and actually come across as credible, confident, and in control — here are four rules I give every client before they ever speak to the press.
1. Never Take a Reporter Call Alone
One of the simplest ways to protect yourself is also the most overlooked: Always have someone else on the call. When helping AI/Healthcare startups with their media interviews, I always listen in to the call and engage with the reporter. This holds the reporter or journalist accountable with their words before a word is even written.
When there’s another professional listening, everyone stays sharper — including the reporter. And if something feels off afterward, you’re not relying on memory. You have a witness.
Ideally, that should be your experienced publicist who can recognize loaded questions. It also prevents the classic “he said / she said” scenario.
In today’s media environment, that matters more than ever.
By Mark Macias Founder of MACIAS PR | Former NBC Executive Producer
Contrary to what many publicists might tell you, not every business is built for earned media. Some industries lack a compelling story and will likely see a better return from advertising.
But others are uniquely positioned for today’s news cycle. Their expertise fills critical knowledge gaps, while their internal research brings context and clarity to their industry. These are the brands that consistently land on the news — not by luck, but by design.
After 2 decades inside the media with NBC and CBS – and another 15+ years running PR campaigns – I can confidently say this: Getting a story on the news isn’t a crapshoot.
There is a repeatable strategy grounded in journalism’s social sciences — and it begins with identifying whether your business has the elements that make a real news story.
Below are the characteristics I look for when assessing a new PR client.
By Mark Macias Founder of MACIAS PR | Former NBC Executive Producer
🧭 The Media Landscape Has Changed — Fast
The media is changing quickly, and it’s having a direct impact on how your stories get covered. I’ve watched this evolution closely over the past two years as my agency has run media campaigns across tech, healthcare, AI, and finance.
But lately, the pressure inside newsrooms feels heavier than ever. Journalists aren’t just busy — they’re overwhelmed.
🗞️ What I’m Hearing From Inside the Newsroom
Throughout summer 2025, I spoke with producers, reporters, and Executive Producers from Newsmax, CNN, PIX11, New York Post, News 12 Brooklyn, CNBC, LA Times, San Francisco Standard, and the Washington Post.
It’s a diverse mix of media outlets, yet the same message came up in every conversation:
“We’re overloaded. We’re all doing more with less.”
Even my former colleagues — many of whom now run newsrooms — described burnout and confusion as priorities shifted daily. Several missed scheduled calls with clients, not from neglect, but because stories were falling through the cracks.
📉 Why This Matters: Hard News Wins, Soft News Loses
The rules of engagement have changed:
Hard news is in; soft news is out.
Complicated stories struggle; simple, visual stories get greenlit.
In-depth features are shelved; one-day turnarounds get priority.
Need proof? One of our clients was approved for a TV morning show segment — confirmed by the Executive Producer herself. But the day before the live appearance, she called to apologize: the segment was double-booked. They simply didn’t have enough people to handle the schedule.
That’s the new normal. Even approved stories can fall apart in the chaos.
By Mark Macias Founder of MACIAS PR | Former NBC Executive Producer
Andy Warhol might be remembered as a great artist, but at his core, he was also a brilliant publicist. Long before Instagram and X (formerly Twitter), Warhol knew how to sell concepts, create buzz, and make himself part of the cultural conversation. He mastered publicity without the digital tools we take for granted today.
The good news? Much of Warhol’s creative publicity approach can be copied and applied to your PR campaigns. I broke down four of his biggest tactics in a Forbes article (you can read it here), but if you’re short on time, here are some highlights.
