Depending on which type of tech story you have, you should always approach a journalist that actually writes about the topic you’re pitching. For example, is your news about a new product or service, software, hardware, cybersecurity tool, smart home platform, digital app or something else altogether? All of those news items are technology-related, but the journalists that cover each are very different so do not lump all media under one generic tech umbrella.
For this list’s purposes, we looked at journalists we have worked with over the years and those that we believe are influential to their readers and for our clients – we focus a lot on enterprise technology, so there won’t be many consumer tech journalists here, who we also love :-). We’ve worked with a lot more journalists, so this list will look very different if say you’re in the electronics or physical security sectors, for example.
We have included our top technology journalists from a range of B2B tech disciplines, so don’t be tempted to take this list and use a blanket pitch to all with your technology news. Picking the right journalist is an important process, so we always advise that you do your own research as some of our list below only cover a specific area of tech, such as web security, so sending them a smart home app story would be pointless…and may just annoy them.
We are also concentrating on UK-based media here, but we will also be pulling a Top 20 Tech Journalists list for the US shortly, so look out for that. In the meantime, and in no particular order, here is our top 20 list of UK-based technology journalists and freelancers:
- Mark Ward – London-based: technology correspondent for the BBC News’ website, Mark is not very active on social media – his last tweet was from 2009! - so emailing him news stories, on general but unique technology, is the best idea. He’s one of those national media that will reply if he’s interested and doesn’t really appreciate follow-up calls, so send the email and hope he picks up on the news you’re pitching rather than wasting time chasing him to confirm receipt. A note on nationals’ journalists, they really don’t care if you’ve released version 7.8 of your software! Good quality original research is one way to tempt them.
- Davey Winder – West Yorkshire-based: A very responsive “Information Security Journalist of the Year” multi-award-winning IT “pundit” who has been in the journalism game for well over 30 years. In that time, he’s been contributing editor for PC Pro magazine, has written for The Times, Sunday Times and SC Magazine, and covers all things web security and cybercrime-wise via his own site, Happy Geek. Davey writes for Forbes and is also a managing analyst at IT Security Thing and has written a fair few books of his own about the Internet and modems, amongst other things. If you hadn’t got it, he writes about security.
- Danny Palmer – London-based: Has been a senior reporter at CBS Interactive, the online content network behind ZDNet, CNET and TechRepublic for just over two years. Before that, he was a staff writer at Computing. Danny focuses on infosecurity news, so approach him with cybersecurity, hacking, malware threats, ransomware and other web security stories.
- Nicole Kobie – London-based: A freelance technology reporter who has contributed to a mass of national media like The Guardian and The Telegraph, along with consumer, channel and business technology sites, including but not limited to IT Pro, Wired UK, VICE, PC & Tech Authority, CRN, Trusted Reviews and Alphr.
- Cliff Saran –London-based: Cliff is the technology editor at TechTarget, a network of tech-specific websites including Computer Weekly. He covers both hardware and software technology news so approach him with stories around mobile, storage and security appliances, operating systems, development tools, databases, business applications, etc.
- Thomas Tamblyn – London-based: Originally a consumer technology writer for T3 before joining The Huffington Post as technology reporter, Thomas worked his way up to Huff technology editor three years ago and has, since then, covered smart home products, new drug treatments and healthcare innovations, gaming, cryptocurrency ups and downs, and more recently Elon Musk’s car and astronaut dolly in space, so feel free to target him with any and all technology stories.
- Steve McCaskill – Twickenham-based: SiliconUK’s former editor-in-chief, Steve, who had been with the online-only title since it was known as TechWeekEurope, only recently gave up the journo mantle to become a freelancer. His beat covers B2B IT news and interviews, sports tech and telecoms, so hit him with wide tech stories.
- Chris Mellor, Croydon-based: Storage editor at The Register, approach Chris for all of your storage and allied technology news. The patches covered by The Register’s journalists differ, so be sure to do your homework and not contact the wrong journalist as even a simple skim of the homepage news stories should give you a clear indication of who is best to approach with your particular tech news. For example, if your news is more security-related then hit John Leyden (update: left The Register in late 2018) with it, and if it’s more personal technology and wearables, Andrew Orlowski is your man.
- Mike Butcher – London-based: Mike is editor at large for TechCrunch where he focuses on everything European, from the smallest startups and products to larger tech giants. Awarded an MBE in 2016 for services to the UK tech industry and journalism, Mike is not an easy journo to hook with a story, so the more standout you can make your news, the better. At the moment though, he has been writing mainly about Blockchain and Crypto.
- Roland Moore-Colyer – London-based: A freelancer who has, in the past, written for V3, IT Pro, Wareables, Trusted Reviews, Computing and SiliconUK, among others, and is now (mostly!) covering security, hardware and gaming at The Inquirer. Interesting note, Roland started out on our side of the fence, as a PR Account Executive back in 2012 – 2014.
- Desire Athow – London-based: Editor of IT ProPortal and TechRadar Pro, he has been at Future plc since the very beginning and was instrumental in turning it into the publication that we know now. He is responsible for the article content...don't pitch him news. Des has been writing about all manner of technology since 1997.
- Carly Page – London-based: Editor at The Inquirer, Carly is the main contact for most of the technology news being sent to this coder and developer-specific website. Her readers are those with a keen interest in the ‘techy’ side of things, so she does not tend to cover enterprise stories or surveys. Instead, she prefers news of a quirky, new nature, and is open to reviews of new products and software.
- Margi Murphy – US-based: Formerly an online tech and science reporter at The Sun Online, Margi stepped up to the mantle of technology reporter at the Daily Telegraph late last year. She writes about everything from drones, web security and cryptocurrency to social media apps, like Facebook and Spotify, and technology brands including Apple and Toshiba.
- Joe Curtis – London-based: Joe was the news editor at IT Pro and Cloud Pro, but is now Deputy Editor of those two media titles. Target him with all IT and cloud technology news, as he writes about them all, but is particularly interested in any stories that offer business insight and market analysis.
- Kate Hoy – London-based: Kate has taken over the editor mantle at IDG Connect, following her predecessor Kathryn Cave leaving after nine years as IDG’s editor. Formerly an associate editor at IDG, Kate writes up news on immersive technology, VR, AI, operating systems and enterprise data for IDG and its sister title, CIO.
- Thomas Macaulay – London-based: Online editor at IDGUK, parent of Techworld, CIO, CSO and Computerworld, to name just a few, Tom (as he prefers to be known) is particularly interested in the ethical implications of emerging technologies, for example in the public sector, so send him those types of tech news stories. He does research, interviews, SEO, pitching and writing features – all B2B-orientated – as a freelancer, where his stories have appeared in The Times, City AM, the Daily Mirror and Camden New Journal.
- Jason Murdoch – London-based: Jason writes about cybersecurity and technology for International Business Times. His beat covers data breaches, encryption, surveillance legislation and hacking, and he was named Digital Writer of the Year 2017 at The Drum’s Online Media Awards.
- Ludwig Siegle – London-based: Technology editor for The Economist. Ludwig is open to meeting in London for pre-event briefings and introductory meetings but will not respond to your offer if it’s not truly standout – either offering him an exclusive financially-related business technology story that no-one else yet knows about or a face-to-face around a hot topic with someone C-level or higher.
- Adrian Bridgwater – London-based: A freelancer that contributes to Forbes, Computer Weekly, Tech_HQ, Internet of Business, TechTarget, The Register and ZDNet, Adrian has spent the last 15+ years specialising in covering software application development but is also knowledgeable about the wider technology market. However, he does tend to focus on developer stories over any others, so do not contact him with wider tech news that has zero developer angles or does not include information on platforms and tools behind the scenes (as in data component controls for programming at the command line, NOT at user level) and software engineering. He does not cover customers or markets or surveys, only tools and technologies.
- James Bourne – Bristol-based: Editor at TechForge, James is a technology journalist who heads up several of that parent media company’s publications, including Enterprise CIO and Cloud Tech News. He is most interested in news that covers cloud computing strategy and technology, the global apps industry – from mobile security and enterprise mobility management to B2E and BYOD.
There are so many more, but we couldn’t add all of the lovely journalists we have worked with, but here are a few more just for you….
- Pete Swabey – London-based: Formerly Information Age’s editor – for around 8 years – Pete moved to the EIU, the Economist Intelligence Unit, where he heads up editorial direction on this financial/business-focused thought-leadership supplement.
- Madhumita Murgia – London-based: Madhu joined the Financial Times' tech team in London as European technology correspondent from the Telegraph and, before that, she wrote for Wired. Madhu also authors a monthly column on the tech world for the FT’s weekend magazine and features on the weekly podcast, Tech Tonic. Also worth a mention for the Financial Times is her European technology correspondent colleague Aliya Ram.
- Warwick Ashford – London-based. Warwick is security editor at TechTarget, so only approach him with IT and web security stories. He specifically covers security strategy, cybercrime and e-crime, information security, risk management, and privacy and data protection. (Update: Warwick moved to Kuppinger Cole in October 2019.)
- Peter Sayer – Pairs-based: Yes, we know, he’s not located in the UK, but Peter is the guy at IDG who covers breaking tech news across Europe, so contact him for European public policy, artificial intelligence, the blockchain, and other technology breaking news.
A quick caveat here: people move on, so don’t be surprised if a few months down the line the journalists have moved to the dark side (PR) or another publication…always pays to do your research.
