As much as any other industry, climate technology is a constantly evolving space, with new innovations and characters entering the conversation every day. Recently, V2 had the chance to sit down with one of the journalists trying to chronicle all that change, TechCrunch’s Tim De Chant. We talked with him about the types of stories he finds most interesting, how he sorts through pitches, and what communications professionals should know about working with him.
Zeroing in on the Science — and the Characters Behind It
Tim’s background is in science writing, so he prioritizes understanding the science behind a technology before delving into other aspects of a story. That said, he also writes narrative and character-driven stories, so pitching a technology with compelling scientific backing and an interesting entrepreneur or scientist is a good way to engage Tim.
He’s also interested in “unexpected intersections,” like this story he wrote last year about a former SpaceX engineer who started a company building specialized power plants (a ‘vegetarian rocket engine’) to remove CO2 from the air.
Editorial Process
Tim says that his TechCrunch editors give him a lot of autonomy to choose what he writes about. He’ll read through pitches based on what he’s interested in at any given time, and if one catches his eye, he’ll look deeper into a company’s funders and previous coverage. If the technology seems interesting, he’ll dig in to ensure it’s legitimate before pursuing a story.
Working with Tim
With so much happening in climate tech, getting on Tim’s radar can be challenging. He laid out some of his preferences when it comes to working with comms teams.
- Stick to email and keep it short: Tim says that he prefers receiving pitches via email, as he’s unlikely to pick up the phone if he’s in the middle of working on another story. He also says to keep those pitches brief – they just need to include the core details of a story.
- Consider the source: As someone who often writes character-driven stories that focus on founders or other key players, Tim says he enjoys hearing from those folks directly. So, consider who your pitch is coming from before hitting send.
- Read what he’s been covering: Tim says that while he’s not likely to share his longer-term coverage plans, he does “slowly get obsessed with things over time,” even if he doesn’t know it! But, he says, those obsessions will come through in his coverage, so look into Tim’s recent stories to figure out what he’s more likely to write about next.
- Exclusives, please – with proper notice: Exclusivity can help get Tim interested in a story, but it’s critical to provide him proper notice, he says. Ideally, he’d have two weeks to dig into the science, chat with sources, and write the story.
Check out all of TechCrunch’s climate coverage here.
Every journalist is different, and especially in climate tech, creating a story compelling enough for them to engage can be a challenge. If you’re interested in learning about V2’s climate tech practice, reach out to Melissa Mahoney at [email protected].