About me
I'm a journalist with eight years' experience - one-and-a-half of which have been spent at a national press agency.
Working in local news gave me news sense but at the agency I was trained to recognise stories which have the potential to be published in national coverage - and to understand the work they needed to make them fit for purpose.
I worked hard to bring in off-diary stories through following local contacts and their social media platforms - and touching base with them regularly.
The agency I worked at was in a competitive part of the country so working fast once a story was spotted was pretty key.
As soon as I had a story it was a race against the clock to get in touch over the over the phone, with a door knock or via social media.
Being an experienced person - in terms of reporting and various other jobs - my people skills are good and I definitely know what I'm doing on the doorstep.
Having the persistence to win over a reluctant person was a big part of the job and it helped bring in some decent stories - often this was as simple as just asking an interviewee their reasons for not wanting coverage.
After 18 months working at an agency I can turn out a national-calibre news story in good time.
I've been attending court and inquests since my trainee days at local papers but the agency work taught me how get the copy out well within an hour and with a cracking top few pars.
I love the thrill of the job - I've tried other industries but nothing else really really makes me happy.
Currently I'm working at a local newspaper but looking to get back into a faster-paced and more challenging environment.
Work history
J
J
JournalistJPI media
Buxton, United KingdomFull Time
Attending and reporting on council meetings
Scouring council agendas for newsworthy content
Posting content on and using social media to generate stories
Uploading and editing content on website seven days per week
Contributing ideas for content
Monitoring other publications for content ideas
Keep and maintain a diary of upcoming stories and events
S
S
JournalistSWNS
- Leeds, United KingdomFull Time
Editing syndicated local news copy for national news coverage
Court and inquest reporting
Door-knocking interviewees for breaking and other news stories
Monitoring social media and other news outlets daily for news stories
Building contacts for stories
Pitching ideas for stories
Managing news output during one-in-five weekends
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Skills
- News Reporting
- Interviewing
- Social Media
- Photojournalism
- Networking
- SEO