careers “Traditional fashion and music journalism is dead – just


check out the fashion mags that have closed in the last few years. And show me a thriving music publication. But fashion and music content is very much alive, via different types of outlets.


“More and more skilled journalists are turning to other


content worlds. And they are doing fantastically well. Why? Because they understand storytelling and that’s what matters.” Evidence of the growing sector is supported by a recent


Chartered Institute of Public Relations poll which said 59 per cent of agencies and consultancies and 31 per cent of in-house communications teams were expanding this year. Trained journalists are often the ideal choice to fill new roles. Paul MacKenzie-Cummins, managing director of Clearly PR


in Wiltshire, said 63 per cent of his staff, past and present, have some form of journalism degree. “As the PR and marketing industry has developed, the whole ‘dark side’ argument has fallen away,” he says. “People are starting to realise it’s a genuinely good career opportunity – one that uses the exact same skills that journalism graduates have trained for.” Michael Murray-Fennell, head of PR for English Heritage,


which has won awards for its creative communications, such as turning the nation onto jousting as a spectator sport, echoes these sentiments. “People who’ve trained in journalism not only have an eye for a story – they know the elements required to make it work. They know what journalists need on a practical level,” he says. “Our team members all have a passion for history. Whether you are in to travel, art, business or politics, you can pursue that passion in PR, in the same way that journalists can find their specialism.” If PR and marketing once had a buttoned up and boring image compared with journalism, that too is changing. The award-winning communications team at the Canal & River Trust, riding high on interest in water pollution sparked by BBC’s The Blue Planet, is well known for its quirky, light-hearted content. National communications manager Jonathan Ludford


said: “We try to be friendly and accessible and we have fun. The last thing we want is for something to look like it was written by a committee.


People don’t communicate in that way.” Underpinning this creativity is the satisfaction of building a campaign,


attracting interest from journalists who have


hundreds of PR-generated story ideas at their disposal on any given day, counting the media hits


and watching content take flight on social media. Lewis is discovering all this for herself. “I love my new job,” she says. “I’m working on several projects and no two


days are the same. I have the opportunity to write and be creative and that’s what I always wanted.” Lewis’s route is not new or unusual. In comparing the two professions of PR and journalism, for many students and trainees, PR comes out top.


How to impress PR recruiters


Sell those skills Make sure your interviewer knows you have a great nose for news or razor-sharp proofreading skills. Jonathan Ludford of the Canal and River


Trust says: “We are very journalistic. We go out and look for stories. “Our people will say ‘we haven’t got much


to report’ then tell you amazing tales of divers, cranes and fish rescue that they don’t think are newsworthy because it’s just part of their daily work. “Great news gatherers are in high demand at organisations like ours.”


Think broadly Media relations is the third most common activity in PR, according to Chartered Institute of Public Relations. Before that


come copywriting and editing. But Paul MacKenzie-Cummins of Clearly


PR, also observes: “The last few years have seen an incredible rise in demand for content across all sectors. There is a range of tasks.”


Consider all skills Offer more than words. Joely Carey, who has created content


for Three Mobile, Vita Coco and Sainsbury’s, says: “There are loads of opportunities but you need a wide skill set. If you love data, become a content analyst. If film is your thing, create social video. Explore media and play with tech. Understand the platforms. “There is no golden formula but I look for


people who take incredible pride in their work and are fiercely ambitious.”


Amy Daubney, marketing and communications officer at


the National Day Nurseries Association, studied journalism at the University of Sheffield, graduating in 2013. She says: “I did work experience with a regional newspaper.


This was an eye opener as I saw how staff were stretched, working long hours across several titles. “I decided I was more suited to PR, having spent summer


breaks as a communications coordinator for a charity. I loved writing press releases and liaising with the local press in that capacity.” For Viki Harris, senior communications officer at Kirklees


Council, a graduate of print journalism at the University of Huddersfield, it was the idea of the death knock that changed her career aspirations. She says: “I originally wanted to be a feature writer for


“ ”


Traditional fashion and music journalism is dead. But fashion and music content is very much alive via different types of outlets


women’s magazines. At the time, the way to get there was through local reporting. The death knock just wasn’t something that sat well with me – I’m too soft. Journalism looked less appealing but pursuing a career in PR in the not-for-profit sector meant I could use my skills to help others.


“The best thing is seeing the difference our work makes,


whether that is encouraging more people in abusive relationships to get help or increasing recycling rates by 50 per cent.”


The ability to make a difference cannot be underestimated.


Niall Couper, head of media, PR and supporter communications at Amnesty International, is a case in point. He went into journalism to uncover truth and expose corruption. “I didn’t take that path in the end,” he says. “I worked on the sports desk at the Independent, which was


great fun but didn’t really feed in to that original goal. Working for Amnesty does, however, give me the chance to feel like I am actually making a worthwhile difference.” In some ways, nothing has changed. In others, everything


has. A good story is still king. But the possibilities of who will pay a skilled journalist to craft, package and present that story are wide open.


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