60: Spin to Win: Turning Small Business Stories into National News with SMH & The Age Journo, Jess Yun
Media MagnetShow Notes
Transforming Small Business Stories into National News with The Sydney Morning Herald & The Age.
Discover how to take your small business beyond local headlines and into Australia’s national spotlight on this inspiring episode featuring Jessica Yun, national retail and food reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. Whether you’re a founder, entrepreneur, or media-curious business owner, you’ll learn exactly what journalists look for and how to position your story for premium press coverage.
Key Highlights
Jess Yun shares her journey from initial cold email to trusted source, explaining how small business voices influence major reporting decisions and can become regular contributors.
Get top tips for pitching your business so it stands out in a journalist’s crowded inbox, including how personal, relevant outreach and expert insights can turn local stories into national news.
Understand the value national mastheads like The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age place on balanced, trend-driven reporting and why they actively seek small business stories tied to broader consumer or economic shifts.
Learn practical ways to “spin” your story, by framing your expertise, surfacing unique data, or connecting your business experience to larger movements that affect everyday Australians.
What You'll Learn
The building blocks for a strong, trusted journalist relationship.
How small businesses can break into the editorial cycle at The Sydney Morning Herald & The Age.
Why context, relevance, and numbers matter in earning coverage.
Proven follow-up techniques that actually get responses.
More from Media Magnet
Enough of the box-tickers. My guest today says most small business owners have, at some point, buried their head in the sand about their numbers, come to her flying completely blind, and finally hit the point where enough is enough.
"I think we've attached a lot of success to raising capital." When a business raises $25 million and gets a $100 million valuation, we treat it like a win. My guest today says that's not actually a marker of success at all, and understanding the difference could change how you think about your own business.
Most people who sell a business they've poured five years of blood, sweat and no salary into would take the win and put their feet up for a while. My guest today looked at her payout and thought, "Great, let's do it all again, but harder, faster, and with a lot more on the line this time."
There are 2.2 million self-employed Australians. Nearly half of small business owners aren't contributing to their own super. And most of them are telling themselves the same thing: my business is my retirement plan.
They beat out 14 other applicants for the lease. They opened with 5,000 local social media followers already waiting for them. They had a line out the door on winter mornings. Their biggest day was 444 coffees in a little suburban cafe with just two people behind the counter.