Welcome to “A Day in The Life,” where members of PR Club’s Board of Directors interview some of the most interesting, multi-faceted, and innovative change-makers moving and shaking up the PR and communications industry!
PR Club caught up with David Cifarelli, trending news reporter for MassLive to discuss his role as a reporter and “half influencer.” Below, David shares everything from his morning routine, to what makes the most interesting stories for his beat, to his ideal night out in Boston!
Let’s start from the beginning. What does a typical day look like for you?
I can start working from my bed – which is a DREAM. Once I get my first story of the day up, I can make tea/breakfast before writing more stories, looking at pitches, or hopping on calls.
Every week, I also have at least 1-2 content shoots or onsite visits. This can entail shooting content at a new restaurant, bar/event space, or interviewing a shop owner, chef, or celebrity. This is one of my favorite parts of being a trending news reporter. After a busy day, I typically unwind on TikTok or put on a comfort show. If I have an event or dinner, that’s even better. Having social outings, especially during the week, is really important to me.
Sounds like your role as a “half journalist, half influencer,” as your IG bio says, can be quite glamorous!
With my switch in beats from breaking news to trending news came a full dive into content creation, and I’ve just embraced it. The more content I did for MassLive, and the times I found myself among other creators, I started to label myself as “half journalist, half influencer.”
Aside from MassLive, I publish content on my own accounts, so I feel like I’m living up to that even more, and I’ve gotten great feedback on it! For anyone just getting started with a personal brand, I’d say don’t be afraid to just post whatever at first. It’s important to put yourself out there first, get comfortable with your brand, and then specify it once you know what works.
What’s a major misconception about journalists?
For me, I’d say it’s that we’re always itching for a “gotcha” moment. I’m not targeting anyone. I’m just here to report on facts and truth. Unfortunately, I think that can come off as an attack to some people. I’ve always wanted to use my platform to help share others’ stories, so that’s what I strive to do.
What makes a good story for your beat?
I’ve found that when I cover the same story in a different way or just something completely different, it’s the most interesting. For example, I wrote a story about Dua Lipa covering Donna Summer at her Boston show last year because I just so happened to be there and thought it was cool. I didn’t think it would do well, but it did, so I feel like that was a good testament to covering something that had a lot of interest and stood out.
So cool. Do you have any career highs to report on?
I once interviewed Lauv when he visited Berklee. We hit it off right away, and we chatted like we already knew each other. I told him how much his music meant to me, and in return, he asked me for restaurant recommendations and complimented my shirt!
Okay, speaking of restaurant recommendations, what’s your ideal evening out in Boston?
I’ve always said that my ideal night out would be dinner, a show, and then drinks and dancing after. I’ve been to Big Night Live for themed-nights before (Brat party or Gimmie Gimmie Disco) so that said, I think I’d get dinner at Ward 8 (preferably during the summer so I can sit outside), then concert at TD Garden, then end at the night at BNL since it’s right next door and I’ve always had a good time there.
And finally, what do you wish PR pros knew or did differently that would help you do your job better?
I will preface this by saying that maintaining an open dialogue with publicists is so important. As a result of this open dialogue, I am lucky to be in a position where they kind of already know what I like to cover, and they make my job easier. That said, I think sometimes they forget that we still have a working relationship in addition to a friendly one. So sometimes I don’t LOVE when they text me about stories or try to pitch me in out-of-work settings. So I’d say if they were better at turning off the work switch, I think that would help both of us thrive when it really comes time to work together.
This blog was written by Abbey Clark, PR Club Board Member and Content Lead