Freelance PR/media relations work, mainly at UNISON.

Senior communications and media relations role at thriving London university (maternity cover)• Leading on media relations, proactively and reactively, to manage the College’s profile in national, education sector and local media; publicising the College’s research to promote Birkbeck as a centre of academic excellence; highlighting stories of student achievement to showcase the College’s mission to widen access and broaden education for working people in London• Handling crisis communications to advise senior figures on reputation challenges and head off potential problems• Overseeing and coordinating digital communication assets such as news, blogs, images, video and audio content online for the Birkbeck website and also creating material for key events during the year such as clearing and graduation; editorial supervision of weekly email to staff; editorial oversight of annual magazine to alumni and friends of the college• Managing stakeholder communications for a diverse range of audiences including staff, current and prospective students, alumni, media and the wider academic community• Liaising with college policy advisor and senior staff for lobbying work to position the university correctly and add the College’s voice to national issues and inform key influencers• Monitoring and evaluating communications activities and media coverage to compile reports for circulation to senior management and other staff. • Managing press officers and social media manager; building and maintaining strong working relationships within and outside the College; deputising for the head of communications

• Press office/media relations at public service union UNISON for six months – handling and placing national news stories, ghostwriting material, handling internal stakeholders in busy complex environment across many diverse policy areas, including driving coverage in EU referendum, nursing, education, local government, ambulance staff ; developing relationships with journalists; working with regional press teams and heads of policy; monitoring and evaluating coverage• Consultancy work for leading PR agencies, refining and shaping press materials, ghost-writing, survey analysis; senior consultant for Taylor Herring and other regular clients include Dawbell, Outside Organisation, LD Communications, Valerie Taylor PR, Freud Communications• Acting production editor/sub-editor for monthly music magazine Record Collector magazine (using InDesign) published by Metropolis; various writing commissions and shifts for national newspapers; writing tour programme for Paul McCartney; contributing editor to the UKTV book Tomorrow’s People: Making Cultures For Creativity

Communications and PR lead for music sector trade/lobbying body• Reporting directly to the CEO, guiding communications output and media strategy, preparing press releases, comment pieces and news responses; ensuring proactive approach, identifying suitable opportunities to be part of news agenda; managing and maintaining network of media contacts and cultivating relationships with target outlets; monitoring media coverage• Stakeholder management of member organisations, external partners and key bodies to present cohesive message; managing communications officer; running UK Music website and social media presence• Preparing relevant papers and presentations to company board meetings; chairing and overseeing committee of member organisations’ comms representatives; attending internal member committees and representing UK Music at meetings of affiliated organisations (including comms committee of Creative Industries Council and BPI)• Handling communications for the UK Music-administered All-Party Parliamentary Group On Music; exploring new opportunities to raise profile of UK Music through wider music industry and political engagement• Managing publication of UK Music research projects, including annual reports; organising media opportunities for other members of the UK Music team; liaising with external organisations on initiatives to benefit the music industry

• Led team of reporters to deliver well-written, accurate, authoritative page-ready news stories to an extensive network of print, online and broadcast customers; material read daily by millions of people worldwide• Managed and coordinated staffing and coverage for major breaking news stories• Advised PR and communications contacts how best to handle a story to maximise impact and effect• News generation including effective use of social media sources, and analysis of data and statistics• Specialised in writing about all aspects of music, TV and radio, as well as film, theatre, visual arts• Maintained large network of contacts including broadcasting and music executives; effectively managing relationships• Coordination across departments - working with newsdesk, picture desk, video and features; liaising with senior editorial figures at daily news conference and news planning• Careful tailoring of writing to meet appropriate audiences – stories often yielding upwards of 300 cuttings with media value of £1 million-plus; Copy editing• Handling sensitive information with discretion• Supervising and mentoring many trainees• Student talks at PA for trainees and student visitors• Contributing to PA's Twitter presence (mainly through company, rather than personal, account)

• Led online operation for leading music magazine and radio station• Generated content, as well as designing and photo editing• Drove online traffic – commissioning video, working with archive material, creating micro-sites to sync with new issues• Identified and developed PR opportunities for the website, radio station and magazine• Coordinated planning and online activity for annual Q Awards and extensive Glastonbury coverage• Wrote weekly newsletter for online reader database• Maintained social media presence for brand on Twitter• Contributing ideas, reviews and features to magazine• Presented interview programme for radio station

• Ran website for national radio station theJazz, sister station to Classic FM, from the project management stage• Launched, edited and managed the site, creating all copy - news stories, features, glossaries, artist directories• Created press and PR coverage for station, securing broadsheet, tabloid and trade publication coverage• Managed strategic alignment of brand, web and audio content• Edited audio content for streaming and download • Liaison with public and jazz community• Newsletters for listeners• Secured on-air guests for the station• Wrote sleeve notes for the station's album releases

• Generated, researched and wrote news stories, features and profiles in the culture/media field for national newspaper• Shortlisted for showbusiness reporter of the year at the British Press Awards 2006 • Commissioned writers • Edited and refined copy by other reporters• Regular night news editor dealing with all late-breaking stories• Managed broad network of contacts in music, radio, TV, theatre and film

(Left to travel)