In this episode, Linda Zebian joins host Jason Mudd to discuss the challenges journalists face in maintaining work-life balance and how PR professionals can better support them. She shares industry insights from Muck Rack, explores newsroom pressures, and offers strategies for improving media relations.
Tune in to learn more!
Our Guest:
Linda Zebian is the senior director of communications at Muck Rack. She leads internal and external communications strategies across the enterprise. Her work spans across messaging, issues management, media relations, social media, and employee communications. As Muck Rack’s first-ever communications hire, Linda brought extensive experience from The New York Times, where she spent 10 years in various communications roles. She was named a “Woman to Watch” by PRWeek in 2024 and recognized for her leadership in Ragan Communications’ 2023 Top Women in PR list.
Five things you’ll learn from this episode:
1. The current state of work-life balance in journalism
2. Key stressors impacting media professionals today
3. How PR professionals can improve relationships with journalists
4. The evolving landscape of newsroom workflows
5. Strategies to support journalists’ well-being and efficiency
Quotables
"The media industry has changed dramatically, and work-life balance is a bigger challenge than ever." — @LindaZebian
"Journalists are under immense pressure. PR pros can help by being mindful of their time and needs." — @LindaZebian
"The relationship between PR and journalists should be built on trust, efficiency, and respect." — @JasonMudd9
"Empathy in media relations goes a long way. Understanding journalists' workload can improve PR success." — @LindaZebian
"Being strategic and concise in your pitches will make journalists more receptive to your stories." — @JasonMudd9
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About Linda Zebian
Linda Zebian is the senior director of communications at Muck Rack, where she leads internal and external communications strategy, including messaging, issues management, media relations, social media, and employee communications. She joined Muck Rack in January 2022 as its first-ever director of communications, bringing a wealth of experience in media and corporate communications.
Before working at Muck Rack, Linda spent a decade at The New York Times, where she held various communications roles supporting growth, product, and technology teams. She played a key role in reinforcing the company’s innovation and financial success, driving subscription growth, and strengthening brand affinity. Prior to that, she worked at Consumers Union, managing media relations for Consumer Reports. She began her career as a reporter at Folio before transitioning into conference programming for Red 7 Media.
Linda was named a “Woman to Watch” by PRWeek in 2024 and a “Top Woman in PR for Leadership” by Ragan Communications in 2023. She frequently giv