It's a challenge to secure people's attention these days. When they're not experimenting with the latest digital detox, every device they have is pinging, ringing or talking back to them. What's more, journalists, editors, and producers are more overwhelmed than ever with lukewarm press releases and their own demanding editorial calendars.
But as people become more selective about the quantity and quality of media that they take in, I continue to get results for my clients by developing proactive communication strategies, personalizing every pitch, being kind, and building relationships bit by bit.
More importantly, I believe in using communication skills as a mechanism to drive social change. As a first generation Taiwanese-Black American woman who grew up in a predominantly White town, I know how it feels to be underrepresented (or completely invisible) in the media. And, given the breadth and depth of my experience, I also know the power that the media has to amplify voices and stories like mine.
When we use the media and our voices as allies, we can shift our cultural narrative from negativity and division to one of inclusion, acceptance, and positive change.
Every story can make a difference. And I would love to tell yours.
Cher Hale is the founder and director of Ginkgo PR, an agency that hopes to use public relations to create a more equitable media landscape. As a Taiwanese-Black American woman, Cher is passionate about leveraging the power of the media to take back narratives that have been traditionally told for historically-excluded authors and entrepreneurs.
When she’s not pitching her clients, you can find experimenting in the kitchen, tending to her garden, or learning Italian. She lives in Spokane, WA (unceded Coeur d’Alene tribe territory) with her partner and her toddler.
COCKTAIL PARTY FACTS ABOUT CHER:
I was, unfortunately (or luckily) not named after the singer Cher. My name means “snow baby (雪兒)” in Chinese.
In 2012, I created a website and podcast to teach people Italian — just to clarify, I am 0% Italian — called Italian with Cher. I still run this website today and speak Italian fluently.
KIND WORDS
CLIENT FEATURES
WE GIVE BACK.
We routinely donate a small amount for every interview we book, every feature we land, and every referral we receive.
We choose nonprofits based on their alignment with our mission for press freedom, diversity in the media, and creative activism.
Past organizations have included:
- Room to Read
- FEMScholar
- The Trevor Project
- The National Association of Black Journalists'
- Slant'd
- Stop AAPI Hate
Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting
Thank you for offering our clients a platform to be visible and for helping us make the world a more inclusive and empathetic place.