Those were some of the pointers from the editorial panelists at a recent PCNY event on pitching opinion pieces, bylined and contributed content. Other desirable criteria include articles with compelling angles that are well sourced and grounded in facts. Self-serving or promotional pieces don’t make the cut. So if a sculptor like Rodin was intent on seeing his name in print or online, he’d be well advised to write about the fine arts category, not focus exclusively on his own masterpieces.

The panelists represented a broad array of digital and print outlets with varying degrees of difficulty for outside submissions to break through. These included: CNN Digital, Bloomberg View, Business Insider, The Huffington Post, Ad Age and The Muse. Of course the industries these media brands cover aren’t targeted or limited to art. They encompass categories ranging from politics and economics to technology, marketing, media, careers and lifestyle.

Each editor painted a brief picture of their outlet and provided tips for prospective guest contributors.

CNN Digital: The Opinion section of the site “hosts a wide range of views across the spectrum of politics, religion, arts and other areas”, explained Richard Galant, senior opinion editor. They only publish one or two outside submissions per day, and they want original, exclusive hooks to ongoing news stories.

Bloomberg View: Editorial board member Frank Wilkinson described the two-year old site as “a startup within a large news organization”. He said their op-ed page only takes selected outside contributors since they now produce more opinion related content in-house. Their core focus is the intersection of economics, finance, government and cultural issues, and they look for densely researched pieces.

Business Insider: The site has evolved, according to managing editor Jessica Liebman. There are now 15 sections, like technology, finance, retail, politics, sports, lifestyle, military and defense, with plans to add energy and healthcare. Their current focus is having quality contributors and selected bloggers post about newsy or fun topics.

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New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Well, if you’re General Electric and that sitcom is 30 Rock, you embrace it after maintaining an adversarial relationship for more than six seasons. G.E., which has seen its “Six Sigma” super-productivity culture mocked repeatedly by Tina Fey, recently decided to let the public know that it is totally in on the joke.

We weren’t the only ones who noticed the company’s weird “thank you” commercial on last week’s episode. Global director of brand management Linda Boff explained everything to Ad Age, saying “G.E. employees and G.E. executives have laughed for the last seven years along with the rest of the audience.”

Oh yeah? Something tells us that former CEO/conspiracy theorist Jack Welch (aka Jack Donaghy) didn’t even chuckle, but at least somebody has a sense of humor.

It’s a bit of a rebranding, really:

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We love Katie and all, but no one would call her a sports journalist–and we don’t feel like the scandal is quite big enough to justify a trip to Oprah-land (though the Te’o family apparently considered Oprah and Dr. Phil before settling for Couric). So how did she score this top interview? Well, the fact that the two parties share a publicist certainly didn’t hurt. That’s right–Matthew Hiltzik of Hiltzik Strategies (MediaBeat interview after the jump) now performs crisis comms/damage control duties for both Couric and Te’o, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Te’o chose Couric over both Oprah and ESPN.

Is this standard operating procedure? Or does it raise even more questions about the players involved in this sordid tale?

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Nothing, really–and that’s the beauty behind the “anticipation bubble” concept referenced by marketer Roy Benin in this Ad Age article. The big tease is a marketing strategy that your stoic nun-schooled grandmother would appreciate.

See, the public is addicted to instant gratification. We want breaking information yesterday, and we devour everything from politics to porn like a downstream alligator on an upstream antelope. Everything in our lives is there for the taking, and when can’t get what we want it, we want it even more.

(We don’t really like to pay for things either.)

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The spot, which features such familiar names and faces as Jon Hamm, Beyoncé, Chris Rock and many others, made it to number 6 on the Ad Age Viral Video Chart this week. Like all of the campaign’s content, the video’s simple, straight-forward, no-frills style serves to promote its overall message: less rhetoric, more action.

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Did commercials become more offensive all of a sudden? Or is this less an issue of individuals being offended by ads than of organizations using complaints to further their own causes and companies trying to squash competitors by getting their ads pulled? (Hint: it’s the latter.)

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Now they’ve created one of the best PR/ad campaigns we’ve seen this holiday season. A brilliant Facebook app called “Holiday Carole” revolves around a video of a Mad Men-era lounge singer who shows up at your virtual front door (or that of a friend) to deliver a swingin’ holiday ditty—and it’s all personalized.

Not only does Ms. Carole check out the weather report for your hometown, hand her driver a note with your home address written in lipstick, and deliver a personalized message of your choice along with a fresh-poured glass of Stella; the app uses images drawn from Google Maps, Street View and other resources to place the actress and her entourage on your block. If you live in the city like we do, you’ll be amused to see your cross-street neighbor’s taped-up windows behind Carole and her band as she sings. (And, as Ad Age notes, her snowy drive would prove particularly fun if you happen to live in the Hawaiian Islands.)

It’s all so cool that we can overlook the lead actress’s not-even-remotely-convincing stab at lip syncing. The promo vid is nice, but you really should try it yourself.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

While we’re not familiar with Kingsly’s work at Saveur, we certainly admire her love of food and her personal bravado: last year she admonished former Times food critic Sam Sifton for writing zero star reviews and told him to “stop being so rude to the chefs in our world that work so damn hard every single day”. Kingsly’s obvious passion for the culinary arts leaves her more than qualified to spend her days promoting them.

She also offers restaurateurs a unique take on the traditional agency, assembling a team composed of experts in the areas of food prep, wine selection, and mixology to create unique groups designed to advise each individual client. Her team’s collective portfolio includes big brands like Top Chef, Iron Chef, Jean Georges, Gramercy Tavern and Chicago’s Balsan. Impressive, no? Who better to help restaurant managers define their brands than celebrated veterans of the restaurant industry?

What do we think? Can a former food publisher make for a successful ad executive? We don’t mean to gush, but after reviewing her team’s credentials, we’d say yes.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

There’s no doubt that elections often attract the sharpest of the communications bunch. This may have something to do with the fact that campaigns—especially presidential campaigns—also draw from some of the country’s biggest bank accounts.

We’ll let MWW CEO Michael Kempner explain it:

“There’s no better training than a campaign. They’re working under pressure, unforgiving deadlines, speaking to diverse audiences and seeing the media impact with real consequences in every program they execute.”

This makes perfect sense. Who has better experience working with media outlets and personalities across the country (and the world) than the veterans of political campaigns? Of course they’re hot commodities.

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Today, McDonald’s announced—through a memo leaked to Ad Age—that the McRib sandwich won’t be available this coming fall. America will have to wait until December to continue its tangy and delicious love affair with the McRib.

As with all strategic teases, this move is designed to leverage attention and expectations. Not being able to have something makes you want it more, and McDonald’s, which typically offers the McRib in October, has concluded that an end-of-the-year release allows for the greatest possible profit margin.

To fill the pork sandwich vacuum, McDonald’s will feature a Cheddar Bacon Onion Angus burger. Though some may argue its better to settle than to be alone, for those of us in love with the McRib, there is no alternative. Angus? Puh-lease. continued…

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Company size, funding, marketing budgets, Silicon Valley vs. Alley location, and product uniqueness all matter for mobile stories. Startups often don’t make the cut unless they’re well funded, and it’s a tough sell if you’re just another app.

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The Ad Age Digital Conference continued this morning with a presentation from David Fischer, Facebook’s VP of business and marketing partnerships, whose presentation could be boiled down to this: “Your brand needs an always-on strategy.”

When your brand is on social networks, like, say, Facebook, it’s always accessible. Moreover, marketing efforts “have always tried to stimulate word-of-mount, but it’s really short-lived. Social technology is changing that,” Fischer added.

It’s not just about reaching the people who “like” you, it’s about reaching the people they’re friends with. According to Fischer, the average user has 130 friends. Reaching those friends spreads your company’s message naturally.

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Ad Age, with help from Buck Consultants, accepted thousands of survey entries for this year’s list. Among the reasons why these firms were deemed the best were cool office spaces, a creative environment, and a lack of “assholes.”

For a look at the complete list, click here.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

An image from Deadspin's Tiger Woods coverage.

Gawker Media founder Nick Denton had some choice words for the commenters on his eight sites, as well as for a couple attendees sitting in the front row at Ad Age’s Media Evolved conference on Tuesday in New York. During a “fireside chat” with Simon Dumenco, Ad Age’s editor-at-large, he was questioned about the sheer volume and often negative tone of comments on Gawker’s sites.

“You can moderate out the toxicity, but not the boring people. They haven’t violated any community guidelines, but they haven’t added to the discussion,” Denton replied.

Boredom was also clearly on his mind when he asked distracted conference attendees seated up front, “By the way, are we boring you?” But Denton’s take on Gawker’s evolution, re-design, editorial goals, interaction with well-known readers and the value of social media was anything but boring.

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An Airfoil group photo from 'Ad Age's Best Places to Work report.

Ad Age has released its second annual list of Best Places to Work and a few PR firms make an appearance. Among them: Airfoil (#8),  GolinHarris (#21), and Cohn & Wolfe (#24).

Some of the perks highlighted at these firms are Summer Fridays, rewards, and awards. A cozy workspace is also a plus. Although they’re not on this list, Lippe Taylor has gotten some media attention recently — in Time Out New York and on New York Live — for the design appeal of their office space.

You can check out the entire special report here. What makes a great work environment? The comments section, @PRNewser, and our Facebook page are ready for your comments.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.