Kate Sullivan’s Post

I always look for the former journalists. Being one myself, I know they care about their work (because they are used to putting their name on it and watching it go public), they thrive in a fast paced environment that is deadline driven, they like to see things through to completion, and they have a high attention to detail. Journalists don't waste time or money (because they are driven by the work, not the pay, obviously- media doesnt pay). They listen carefully and act quickly to find solutions. They are self motivated and independent, while also being strong, competitive team players. They make good marketing communications professionals, proposal writers, sales executives, business coaches, and community leaders. #hireajournalist

This is the conversation I’ve had with almost every single former journalist I’ve ever spoken to: How much slower it takes to get things done in the real world and how difficult and frustrating it is trying to de-program ourselves. But, is the business world catching on to the value journalists bring to the table? Just this morning I came across a Director of Public Relations position for a major global company and the job requirement for the PR role: “Bachelor's degree in communications, journalism, marketing, or related field.” Another basic requirement: “You are nimble, organized, and can manage multiple projects simultaneously, while paying close attention to detail.” The problem is most people have no idea what a TV news producer actually does. Line producers deal with breaking news on the fly, make snap decisions, while juggling many moving parts during a LIVE broadcast. They are the definition of NIMBLE and they do it while also working under an incredible amount of pressure, not just on a daily basis, but a minute-to-minute basis. People are always quick to hire the “face” of a news station. While I’m not trying to take away from that, it is short-sighted to not look at *TV NEWS PRODUCERS* for the role, too. Anchors are the plate that arrives at your table. Producers are the chef. #newsproduction #producer #tvproducer #newsproducer #tvnews #hire

NEWS JOB-HUNTING PRO-TIP: Regardless of where you ultimately want to land in journalism - be it sports writer, columnist, foreign correspondent or lifestyle & entertainment editor - don't overlook the opportunities to cut your teeth in breaking news and general assignment reporting. Hard news should never be treated as an afterthought. Consistently gathering, interrogating and disseminating large amounts of information to the public under deadline in a clear, accurate and illuminating way is the foundation on which all other beats are built. Just about every great sports story, profile or entertainment feature you can think of involves a refined degree of source-building, interviewing, research and investigative skills. And news hiring managers are looking for these skills in the journalists they hire.

Being a journalist was hands down the most challenging role I've had in my career. It taught me SO much, which is why it's so frustrating to see myself and fellow former journalists struggling even more than average in this job market. I know it "looks" like I only have a few years of comms experience. But my decade as a journalist taught me so many transferrable skills: 1. Working under deadline pressure? There's no deadline quite like live TV. 2. Juggling multiple priorities? Breaking news requires a big shift in priorities. Redirect crews to the location, make sure we're calling sources for confirmation, get what we know so far up on the website. Oh, and make sure you're still putting together a full rundown of regular news in case it turns out to be nothing. 3. Writing for different voices? Producers write essentially everything the anchors say. Over time, you learn how your anchors prefer things.. words or phrases they don't like, how they like things typed out in the prompter, and how they might say something in their own style. 4. Collaboration? Live news doesn't happen without it. Being a producer means working with your reporters to know what story they have and what they need. Your director needs to know what shots you have in mind and when to take video. Your editor needs to know what video to cut and where to put it. The graphics department needs direction on what images or maps you might need. Meteorologists may have special requests if it's a big weather day. The list goes on. 5. Understanding your audience? Almost everything journalists do is focused on their audience. We choose stories based on what would appeal to our demographic. We consider what they will already understand about a story, what needs to be explained, what questions they might have, etc. We tailor our content specifically to meet the viewers. These are just a few of the skills I began developing in local newsrooms. I believe it made me a better employee, coworker, and all-around person. I learned the importance of sharing stories, creating empathy and understanding, and doing it all with ethics front and center. So hire a former journalist. I promise you won't regret it.

I've been following the news about News Corp Australia's impending restructure with interest and sadness for those on the coalface. The stress in the newsrooms, especially at Holt Street in Sydney, must be horrendous and I am thinking of you guys. Heads up: I use Seek not only to apply for jobs but to analyse; News Corp just advertised for a junior reporter/entry level for their Newswire desk which is their answer to a news agency like AAP. The job could very well involve mastering a multiplatform CMS with multiple deadlines arising in part from multiple time zones, sourcing and editing images, sourcing and/or creating videos, finding and developing stories at state and national levels (News Corp owns about 6-8 metro newspapers including the Australian, Daily Telegraph, Courier-Mail and Herald Sun), 33 regional titles and 75 local mastheads, most of them digital), respond to breaking news outside their rostered hours and dealing with clients. This position would be based at their Sydney office. That could very well mean chair-bound with a strong possibility of a disrupted social life. I hope university lecturers are teaching journalism students more than just the basic mechanics of the industry; time management, stress management and people management would seem to be mandatory subjects as well. I assume SMO, photography and videography are already included. My advice as an experienced journalist (and currently available to anyone who wants capability) to these new recruits is to be absolutely clear on what they want out of their job. Stay focused, relax healthy, defending your off-time, avoid booze and, above all, set yourself a timeframe for your exit from the role within your first week!

The media landscape is shrinking. 📰 Many journalists - several of whom we've worked with and are proud to call friends - are losing their jobs at an alarmingly fast rate. As a public relations agency owner, I firmly believe that a lot of former journalists, with their sharp intellect and quick wit, are highly suitable for roles in PR agencies and various communications positions. Their unparalleled understanding of how to properly communicate and what constitutes a great story makes them invaluable. Not to mention, many of them have been on the receiving end of both good and bad media pitches from publicists. 📢 So as you're looking to hire, may I suggest a former journalist?! #PublicRelations #Journalism #Hiring #MediaLandscape #PRStrategies #Storytelling

One of the most common questions I get from candidates in job interviews is what it's like to work for a company where the entire team is remote. As we're looking for new team members to join us, allow me to answer that question. Working remotely can be incredibly freeing; it means you're not tied to living in big cities where the rent is extortionate (I'm still in London, because I like to torture myself), nor do you have to spend money on rail cards, the Tube or buses. On the flipside, working from home can be isolating. It's just the nature of the situation. This is why it's so important for companies to keep staff engaged, and I'd like to think that we do that at JP. Through trial and error, we've found our groove. There was the dreaded Zoom quiz (I think the team will all agree it wasn't a winner) but there's also the annual JamFest – where our editors Ben Nicholls and Jody Knowles invite us to Cornwall to hang out on the beach, have dinners and drinks, and 'work'. Mind you, I once swam out a bit too far and had to be rescued by a hunky lifeguard but that one's on me... We do team meetings on Zoom just to say hi. We have a Slack channel that acts as a water cooler, where writers can chat about whatever they like (they share a lot of pet photos – I can't complain). We offer trainings, call them weekly and try to be available as much as possible. I can't speak for my team but I can say that from what I've seen in the past four years, they all appear to get on pretty well – which is a rarity in many physical offices. Working from home is about mutual respect and trust – and I trust my team. Yeah, we make bad jokes. We send gifs. We have an infamous Friday Question that the brilliant Lee from the World Team drops in the afternoon. This year's JamFest is happening after summer. I've (understandably so) been banned from ordering shots. I am fairly certain there will be some karaoke (we love that mic far too much) and I know we'll have a good time. So yeah, we're not in an office. All that means is that we make extra effort to create our own version of one. Enough from me... we've got jobs going. If you're looking for a change, give us a shout.