Policy 42 Communications bridges the world of think tanks, policy institutes, and subject-matter experts with the journalists who need to hear from them. Two decades of newsroom instinct. Deep foreign policy fluency. A nonpartisan approach built on credibility.
"The press doesn't cover ideas. It covers people saying things at the right moment."
Most communications consultants work backward — they have a message and they push it. Policy 42 works the way a producer does: starting with what the press actually needs, then positioning your expertise to meet that moment.
After 20+ years across sports entertainment, nonprofit leadership, and Washington's most prominent think tanks, the through-line is always the same: credibility is not built through volume. It's built through precision.
That means knowing which reporters cover which beats, when they're receptive, and what angle will make your expertise genuinely useful to their story — not just convenient to your narrative.
This is nonpartisan work. In a polarized media landscape, the ability to place your experts credibly across the ideological spectrum is not a nice-to-have. It's the whole game.
Strategic placement for policy experts, authors, and executives on national and local broadcast. Producer-level insight into segment planning — because we know how booking decisions actually get made.
From concept to publication. We shape your argument, sharpen your voice, and match your piece to the right outlet. Experience includes placements in The Hill, Foreign Policy, and The Washington Post.
On-site recording with professional-grade equipment. Guest booking, segment editing, and publishing support — built for think tanks, live events, and organizations launching branded audio series.
Pre- and post-event media strategy that actually moves the needle. Press advisories, direct journalist outreach, and real-time media support for conferences, launches, and high-profile convenings.
One-on-one coaching for people who know their subject deeply but haven't had to perform it under pressure. Message development, interview prep, on-camera practice, and honest feedback.
When North Korea launched a ballistic missile on the evening of March 23, 2021, the Wilson Center's Media Relations team moved immediately. Within minutes of the story breaking, we identified Korea Program Director Jean H. Lee as the right expert, reached out, and had her analysis in hand by 8:07pm EDT.
The quote was edited, approved, and distributed to targeted broadcast, print, and online reporters at major domestic and international outlets — by 8:33pm EDT. Twenty-six minutes from receipt to distribution.
Just do a search for the Wilson Center over the last ten years and see how many hits and interviews Ryan made happen. Watching him work was impressive, because he needed to attend to the media needs of two dozen individual programs in addition to the office of the CEO. He has an extensive knowledge of the media landscape and the contacts to make the impact. Plus he's a steady hand and friendly presence.
Ryan is an exceptional media relations manager — the best in the business! During our time working together at the Wilson Center, Ryan was unfailingly professional. He handled media requests quickly, during high-pressure and time-sensitive breaking news events, and was proactive in pitching to media outlets to make sure experts have visibility. And he's fun and a great friend and colleague to boot.
Ryan is one of the most professional individuals I have encountered in my career. He is highly connected, knowledgeable, and incredibly helpful when it comes to media engagement. His extensive network of contacts allowed the Mexico Institute to position its work with diverse media outlets as the premier platform on U.S.-Mexico relations. I am confident that Ryan will continue to make a long-lasting impression wherever he goes next.
"The foreign policy world produces some of the most important thinking in Washington. It also produces some of the most underreported stories. That gap is where Policy 42 operates."
I built Policy 42 on a simple conviction: clarity is one of the most underrated assets in communications.
My career started in an unlikely place — the public and fan relations team at World Wrestling Entertainment, traveling the country in support of some of the biggest events and personalities in sports entertainment. It was an early masterclass in pressure, storytelling, and audience connection.
Before launching Policy 42, I led media relations at the Wilson Center — one of the nation's premier public policy think tanks — working to position the institution and its global experts at the forefront of the conversations that matter. That role required deep fluency across every major foreign policy beat: Indo-Pacific, Middle East, Russia and Eurasia, Europe, Africa, and beyond.
I take a firmly nonpartisan approach. Credibility means your message holds up across the ideological spectrum — and I help clients communicate in ways that are clear, authentic, and trusted by reporters on both sides of the aisle.
On the name: In The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, 42 is the answer to life, the universe, and everything. That spirit of curiosity, creative problem-solving, and irreverent intelligence is what we bring to every engagement.
Whether you're a think tank looking for a communications partner, a scholar preparing to go on the record, or an executive navigating a complex media moment — the first conversation is always free.