October 05, 2007
Interview
SUMMARY:
The Boston Herald publishes in one of the top daily newspaper readership regions in the country. Almost 70% of their readers are in professional and white collar positions. Their Business Today section was named “Best in Business” in 2006 from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers. Find out how to pitch your news to this daily from our interview with their Deputy Business Editor.
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Contact Information
Frank Quaratiello
Deputy Business Editor
The Boston Herald
One Herald Square
Boston, MA 02118
FrankQ(at)BostonHerald(dot)com
Background
Quaratiello took over as Deputy Business Editor in May 2006. He joined the Herald in 1996. Before coming to Boston, he was a regional city editor at The Concord Monitor in New Hampshire and worked at several newspapers in California. Quaratiello has a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University.
Circulation & Readership
o Daily circulation: 227,583; readership: 711,200
o Sunday circulation: 122,712; readership: 470,800
Sources: BurrellesLuce, Top 100 Daily Newspapers; Web Trends 11-month average, 2006
The Herald’s audience is almost 50-50 male/female. 48% have a household income of at least $75,000. 61% are college educated, 20% hold professional positions, 48% are white-collar workers. 55% are married, 37% have children in households and 69% own houses.
Greater Boston is home to more than 120 colleges and universities; the city has the highest percentage of college graduates in the country. The newspaper’s readers are mostly young and tech-savvy professionals. Massachusetts also prides itself on having the highest concentration of biotechnology activity in the world, and the state has more than 150 hospitals. Other major business sectors include software, electronics, banking and real estate.
Current Editorial Coverage
Besides covering news, opinion, sports, education and the entertainment and automotive industries, the Herald publishes a variety of special publications, including Women’s Business Boston (monthly journal for local female professionals), Reader Rewards (listing of products, services and entertainment) and Hot Shots (high school athletics).
Business Today covers the real estate, retail and restaurant industries and has the following special sections:
- Monday: Technology Today—Inspecting Gadgets (reviews of technological innovations)
- Tuesday: Markets and Money
- Wednesday: The Water Cooler, Working Stiff (workplace news and trends)
- Thursday: Media Today
- Friday: Small Business Matters, Real Estate
- Sunday: Personal Finance, The Corporate Shuffle
On Saturday, the Herald runs The Edge, a column that focuses on trends in style, entertainment, art, music and lifestyle.
Web site
2006 numbers for BostonHerald.com:
- Monthly page views: 46.35 million
- Unique monthly visitors: 2.29 million
- Total monthly visits: 7.22 million
Source: Web Trends 11-month average, 2006
The Web site hosts an array of staff blogs focusing on sports, news, parenting and business topics. A business blog that stands out is titled Her Perspective, which profiles the achievements of businesswomen in the region.
Since the newspaper’s readers are technologically savvy, the Herald caters to their interest in the latest gadgets and trends. Besides technology coverage and reviews, it offers subscribers an option to download an electronic edition of its printed version. The paper is also available via BlackBerrys, other PDAs and Web-enabled phones.
Readers who would like to see the latest headlines in their email inboxes can subscribe to the paper’s newsletter: http://bostonherald.publishmail.com/
How to Pitch Quaratiello
Quaratiello says the best way to craft effective pitches is by doing research first. He emphasizes the importance of spending some time browsing the Boston Herald’s print edition and Web site. You can familiarize yourself with the type of content the newspaper features. Since the daily tabloid’s audience is made up of mostly younger readers, the writing tends to be more animated and hip. Articles are straightforward and hard-hitting.
Making a pitch via email is the favored method. Editors can then consider your pitch on their own time, while not on deadline. The email address format for Boston Herald is: first initial, last name @bostonherald.com.
However, Quaratiello’s email address doesn’t adhere to this format. “My e-mail address is one of just a few exceptions to that rule.” If you email your pitch to him, make sure that it doesn’t contain a large attachment that takes forever to download; it’s one of his pet peeves. Another is sending repetitive emails. He’ll contact you if he’s interested in your query.
The Herald is looking for stories first about local companies and how these businesses affect employment and the regional economy. Because of their audience, editors also favor pitches about technological issues.
Contribute to Boston Herald
If you would like to share your opinions or send suggestions and news tips to the editors, email letterstotheeditor(at)bostonherald(dot)com or fill out a form here: http://www.heraldinteractive.com/contactus/index.bg
Press Kits
Quaratiello says press kits are useful if he is considering the companies as potential sources for stories.
Meet Quaratiello & Other Editors
Quaratiello doesn’t attend trade shows but says he “will meet with PR people pitching stories on occasion.” Send him an email to check his availability.
