“Meet the Media” Series: A Conversation with Cristian Lopez, Managing Editor at HostingAdvice

In our latest “Meet the Media” series, the Touchdown team recently met with Cristian Lopez, managing editor at HostingAdvice, to dig into his approach to tech journalism, what he looks for in a story and how PR pros can create pitches that truly resonate with him.

From staffing to software to hosting: Cristian’s journey

Cristian’s background might surprise you. He began in healthcare staffing, transitioned into a project management role at a software development agency (working on Salesforce-native applications), then moved into UI/UX research before landing at HostingAdvice. In his own words:

“My resume is a Frankenstein of a resume… but I’ve always said yes to opportunity.”

This varied path, Cristian says, provides him with a “tool belt” of experience, from interviewing and account management to tech product awareness, which he now uses to tell stories in the web hosting and infrastructure space.

What gets him excited: Stories with a hosting angle and human impact

When we asked Cristian what kinds of stories he’s most passionate about researching and reporting, three ingredients emerge:

• A hosting or infrastructure angle (data centers, web hosting, cloud, APIs)
• A human-centric element (how real people or companies are using the tech)
• A novel twist or startup edge (smaller companies doing interesting things, new technologies being applied in practical ways)

“With a category like web hosting… whenever we get to report on someone doing something really cool in the industry, whether it’s a new technology or service, that’s always really fun,” he said.

How he filters pitches: The hosting tie-in matters

Cristian walked us through his thought process when assessing story pitches:

• Is there a real hosting or infrastructure relevance? Even if the pitch is about cybersecurity or AI, he asks if there’s a direct tie-in to hosting or internet infrastructure.
• Is there a clear story or hook? He looks for uniqueness, such as a smaller company demonstrating true innovation or a new twist in an established category.
• Are there real voices or quotes? He values video and email interviews and multiple-perspective quotes to help tell a fuller story.
• Timing and promotion matter. For embargoes, he is a strong “yes,” saying: “Embargoes with a ton of time ahead of time. Love, love, love that.”
• Human outreach over automation. Personalization in pitches makes a difference. “If my name isn’t even in the hello or hi, then I’m just noticing okay, this is probably just coming from some press list somewhere.”

The media landscape shift he’s watching

Cristian noted two major shifts that PR pros should be aware of when creating content.

• Changing audience habits: Short-form content, video, and reels are growing, while long articles draw less attention. “People are changing the way that they want to digest information… maybe it’s not written articles that are 1,000 words,” he said.

• AI in journalism: Cristian and his team ensure that every article is 100 percent human-written, even if internal AI tools are used for checking. “Sometimes AI will just insert a quote that was not given in the article… that’s the importance of having a human person final check everything.”

Still, he sees AI as a tool, a complement to human judgment and storytelling.

Our conversation with Cristian Lopez reminded us that even in a niche space like web hosting, you don’t have to sacrifice storytelling or human connection. The stories that resonate link infrastructure to IT practitioners and end users and show the tech angle in action. As PR pros, understanding how a journalist like Cristian works and what he values gives you the edge in crafting pitches he actually wants to read and potentially explore.

Thank you, Cristian, for sharing your time and insights with the Touchdown PR team! We always enjoy working with you!