Perfect Pitch: Insight from Nashville Media Mainstays

PR professionals spend their days crafting the perfect pitch, but what do the journalists receiving those pitches really think?

Join PRSA Nashville for an engaging panel discussion featuring respected local media professionals from outlets like WPLN News, Nashville Banner and more. Hear directly from these industry leaders as they share insights into their careers, discuss what makes a story newsworthy and offer advice on how PR professionals and journalists can work together more effectively.

Attendees will also enjoy light bites and refreshments during this evening program, along with the opportunity to tour Harpeth Hall following the discussion.

Blake Farmer - WPLN News, Host of This Is Nashville

An unmistakable voice to public radio listeners around the nation, Blake Farmer has returned to the airwaves to host “This Is Nashville,” the flagship weekday show of Nashville Public Radio, and co-host a new collaboration with KFF Health News called "HealthQ." He’s the kind of person who can interview anyone about anything. His curiosity and warmth make people comfortable on the air — even when he’s asking a tough question. Behind his nonchalance and self-deprecating style is a sincere desire to draw people together rather than drive them apart.

Before his two-year radio hiatus with a Nashville-based healthcare company, Blake was one of the country’s most prolific healthcare audio journalists. He produced stories for both local and national programs, extending the reach of his reporting through a partnership with KFF Health News. At WPLN, he previously served as host, editor and news director. He was regularly called on to act as emcee for station events or speak to community groups. He collected too many awards to display at once and is proudest of a national Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Writing.

Blake got his radio start in college at KACU-FM in Abilene, Texas, where he maintained employment even after a period of extended dead air that resulted from falling asleep during his late night shift. Abilene Christian University even honored him with the Gutenberg Award, which recognizes outstanding alumni working in journalism and mass communications.

Demetria Kalodimos - Executive Producer at The Nashville Banner

Demetria Kalodimos is the executive producer, hosting the weekly podcast Banner & Company, and producing the Banner’s video content. She is a household name in Nashville, having anchored and reported news for 34 years at the city’s first television station, WSMV. She has won many of the most prestigious awards in broadcast journalism and has produced feature-length documentaries and programs for the festival circuit and nationally on PBS.

+MORE SPEAKERS TO BE ANNOUNCED

📅 Tuesday, July 14, 2026

🕢 Networking at 4:00 p.m. | Program 4:30–5:30 p.m.

📍 Harpeth Hall School

PRSA Nashville and its 200+ members across Middle Tennessee represent an array of industries and specialties, including corporate communications, agencies, government, associations, hospitals, colleges and universities, and nonprofits. The chapter was founded in 1957 to provide communications professionals with opportunities to enhance their professional skills and expand their circle of professional contacts.

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