After reading Shannon’s Corner about voicemail and email I wanted to expand on it a little bit. It is true voicemail is dead! But I feel it’s dead not because people don’t have the time or want to leave messages, but because of the new technology. People are just not picking up and calling anymore. Using the phone is the last resort. As an addict to new gadgets I must say I fall into that category and so do my peers. I have a Sidekick from T-Mobile. That has all the internet communication tools wrapped up in one pretty little phone. It has American Online Instant Messaging(AIM), Yahoo Messenger, MSN Messenger, text messaging, and email. With my friend and I the first line of communication is AIM, if that does not work out the next method would be text messaging, if all of those don’t work then we will pick up the phone and call. But it is different with my peers in a professional environment. The first method would be email, then perhaps a phone call if you do not respond to the email. Although now a days many employers are getting hip to instant messaging. My last internship had a form of MSN messenger called Office Communicator. This was a way that you could instant message all of the employees that worked for this company and you could build a buddy list but you could also just look them up if they were not on your list. This shows that even the professional world is straying further and further from using the phone. This also is the case when you are trying to pitch a story. I have very rarely come across a reporter that prefers you call and pitch to them. They all say that they prefer you to send an email of the release and then they will get back to you if they need anything else from you. Even when we go against the wishes of reporters and call the first thing they will ask is “did you send me an email” and if you haven’t the follow up will be “can you just send me an email.” I have heard those two remarks countless amounts of time, to the point where I dread making live phone pitches. I have however found that an email pitch followed by a follow up phone call is a good method. Not only have they read your release but if they haven’t they will go and look for it.