Media Moment––Charlie Cornacchio from HVNN

October 17, 2017

Members of the media and PR pros can be friends. Yes, really.

That sentiment is the basis behind this “Media Moment,” a Q&A that gives our blog readers a better insight into some of our favorite journalists, reporters and media personalities. We ask questions and our media pals weigh in.

Enough about us! Let’s welcome Charlie Cornacchio, chief executive officer and managing director of Hudson Valley News Network.

There are a lot of new happenings going on at HVNN! Can you give us the scoop?

Yes, it’s an exciting time because we are moving in a direction that is going to flip the entire digital marketing model on its head. We’re changing the old sponsor model of simple “click throughs”, to more of an engagement-driven and ROI-based model for our Community Sponsors.

So along with that, the leadership has changed, our location has changed, and our website will have a new look too.

Which aspect of HVNN’s revamp are you most excited about?

I’m most excited about the new model. We’re creating something that is dynamic, innovative, and new to the Hudson Valley.

How do you think these changes will alter how the Hudson Valley gets its news?

That’s exactly it! The operative word is “getting”. Our new hyper-local focus and vision will allow the community to get involved in news reporting. Community News Advocates (CNA) will have access to report on things they see and experience. We will push our news out to our Hudson Valley followers and become more interactive with the community.

In your years at HVNN, what has been your favorite type of story to cover?

I am partial to the “feel good” stories where a community rallies behind an individual or family in need, or a person overcomes adversity. These stories are inspirational and provide hope to others who may be suffering their own challenges.

Describe a few fun things that the average HVNN.com follower wouldn’t know about you.

There are a few things that I do outside of HVNN that some people know and others do not. Take music for instance. I play a few instruments and sing in a local band and am on the worship team at my church. I was adopted and wrote a book about the experience of finding my birth mother, and am about to become a grandparent 10 times over! And now you know everything.

Tell us––we promise not to hold it against you––what’s your PR pet peeve?

Hahaha! My biggest pet peeve is when promotional information is submitted that the writer tries to disguise as news-worthy. We receive hundreds of press releases a week and sometimes it’s time-consuming to go through the “fake” releases, where someone is just looking for free press for their product or service.

What do you love most about living and working in the Hudson Valley?

What I love most about living in the Hudson Valley is the people. They’re friendly, accommodating, forgiving, interesting, warm, and I could go on. What I love most about working in the Hudson Valley is the beauty of the region. I cross the Mid-Hudson Bridge each day (sometimes three times a day) and the beauty of the water and the landscape never get old.

Name one “hidden Hudson Valley gem” that all locals and visitors ought to check out.

That’s a tough one, but I would have to say Mohonk Mountain.

If someone wants to follow HVNN and/or you, how can they connect?

There are several ways. We have an e-mail sign up where people can select the categories of news they’re most interested in and they’ll get stories e-mailed to them as soon as they are posted. We encourage people to like us on Facebook, where they’ll see many of our stories and live feeds, and Twitter is another option to follow news and reports. I’m on FB as Charlie Cornacchio (it’s where a lot of family photos, grandkids, and music stuff lands) and on Twitter @cornacchio.