“Meet the Media” Series: Tech, Topics, and Writing Insights with Tom Coughlin
By Patrick Ingraham
As PR professionals, the development of strong relationships with media comes from understanding how journalists work, their interests, and what they like to write about to build genuine and meaningful connections.
In our latest “Meet the Media” series session, the Touchdown PR team had the privilege of speaking with Tom Coughlin, an engineering and management consultant who doubles as a contributor for Forbes, known for his Storage Bytes blog. With over 40 years in the data storage industry, Tom is president of Coughlin Associates, founder of Storage Visions and Creative Storage conferences, he’s active on X (@thomascoughlin), and is author of books like “Digital Storage in Consumer Electronics.” He was also IEEE President in 2024.
Tom spoke to the Touchdown team about his approach to writing, his preferences when it comes to PR pitches, and his thoughts on data, AI, and consumer tech trends.
A Typical Day and Tech Stories that Spark his Interest
Tom spends a lot of time at industry events, especially ones he’s directly involved in as an organizer or for IEEE, where he’s able to connect with new people and dive into new research and trends. For topics he’s writing about (namely data storage), he feels the best way to understand something is through research, background information, and conversations with the people who are doing these things, sharing that his approach has always been, “What can I learn from this and is it useful?” Tom says he views writing as a learning tool. “The best way to learn something is to do it or teach it.” And writing about technology is a good way to learn about it.
Living in Silicon Valley, Tom often attends local events, but notes that in today’s increasingly digital world, many interviews must be conducted remotely. He shared that “stronger connections and greater value are created from meeting someone in person.”
Tom’s passion lies in the evolution of technology, particularly storage and memory. When he first started writing for Forbes, Tom said he focused on global stories that impacted manufacturers and suppliers, like flooding in Thailand that impacted storage hardware components and companies. From there, though, he says the longer-term trend has been the development and evolution of storage technologies and their applications.
In recent years, Tom has been especially drawn to AI and machine learning and how it can encourage the proliferation of new and existing technology, saying AI is a double-edged sword:
“It is going to be interesting to see how AI continues to grow. There are going to be a lot of people displaced by AI because they are not skilled in AI tools. AI is not a person, so it does not care, but in general, we need to think about how we can be smarter and use AI as a tool rather than how AI can do everything for us. There is so much we don’t know about AI and so much more to learn. We are making history right now and this is a major change that could make us better or destroy us.”
Picking Pitches and Working with PR Pros
Like many journalists inundated with PR pitches in their email inbox, Tom says substance is most important in the pitches he reads and considers. Something that is “all fluff” with no substantive content will be ignored. He pays attention to pitches that contain important or even inspirational information.
For his annual World Backup Day column, Tom says he usually has a general concept or topic in mind to write about, but pitches and commentary that grab his attention or say something in an interesting way can often steer the direction of the column.
On pitches around AI, Tom says he’ll consider it if it is relevant to digital storage or things he’s currently covering. Things that catch his eye are topics or ideas that are fundamentally different, interesting, or intriguing. “Is it new, useful, or dangerous? Those are all important and interesting topics,” Tom said.
The connections between PR professionals and journalists are important, and Tom says that personal connections matter. He enjoys meeting and talking with people and says that insights from these discussions usually drive his research and writing.
Overcoming Writer’s Block
Tom also provided some advice and insights into how he and other writers can approach overcoming writer’s block. His approach, he says, is practical, and everyone must find their own method that works for them. He starts by writing what he knows, and then expands on it. Part of that is allowing oneself time and meeting the schedule and expectations you set for yourself. “How do you work best? Some people work better under pressure; others work better when they are relaxed. Get into a zone where you are comfortable and productive,” Tom said.
The insightful discussion with Tom reminds us as PR pros that effective pitching is about relevance, substance, and making real, genuine connections. By focusing on what drives, inspires, interests, and motivates journalists, writers, and analysts, PR pros can foster fruitful, productive relationships.
