After ditching an appearance at a Mopwater PR panel discussion last week in D.C., Senior Congressional Correspondent for the HuffingtonPost Ryan Grim delivered a couple of candid ‘how to pitch’ tips for the agency’s blog.

Grim files nearly every day, and constantly needs ideas, quotes, and background. What he said might surprise some, “It’s not your job to make us happy, just to get our attention.” Basically he said there are no rules if you have something hot. “A direct Twitter message would get through, too, as would a tweet with my handle in it. Reporters are always out there looking to see what people are tweeting or writing about their work, so you can trap us that way.”

Grim also uses LinkedIn and Facebook for research and recommends PR people make those accounts public and complete, if they want to be found. And, chat is where relationships are built and more relaxed interactions take place, though come with the risk of annoyance. Not many PR pros chat through Facebook according to Grim. Yes, because you have to actually become a friend first and therein lies the rub.