A round up of the best advice from our media interviews

We’ve really enjoyed meeting media and communications professionals from across the country in our In Conversation With… interviews this year. Whether they work for national or local organisations and however they contribute to the creation of news and content, all of them offer an interesting perspective.

Here are some of our favourite excerpts from the interviews, covering advice on everything from pitching to podcasting.

On how to be a good comms professional, by Philly Spurr, BBC:

“Read and consume as much news and current affairs as you can from different media and social platforms. Follow interesting people on Twitter, even those you may not agree with – open yourself up to different opinions. And believe in yourself.”

Advice for budding journalists, by Duncan McRae, Marketing Gazette:

I wish someone had told me just how important gaining work experience is, and also gaining National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) accreditation. I did get some work experience during my time at university – three weeks at a local newspaper and one week at a regional one, but it wasn’t really substantial enough.

On making commercial content a success, by Edward Craig, Haymarket:

Content is king! But you knew that. But what you might not know is what does good content look like for that audience. So trust the magazine you’re working with – find that warm spot between their editorial recommendations and your marketing imperatives.

On producing a podcast to be proud of, by Kerry Harrison, Machine Unlearning Podcast:

I wish I’d known a bit more about the editing programmes, as that was a steep learning curve for me. The best thing I’ve learnt is to remember why you set it up in the first place. And to do it on your own terms. For us, it could never be a weekly, regular thing. We set it up to hear women’s stories and to feel part of something bigger than ourselves.

On capturing the right tone of voice for a brand, by Liz Whitson, MW London:

Good ol’ fashioned listening! What are the words and phrases they use? Are they formal or casual? Brimming with enthusiasm or calm and collected? Self promoting or modest? You have to think ‘how would x say this?’ And then check your source material (emails, websites, briefs) because they will always, always have expressed themselves in valuable nuggets of information that you can recycle.

On how to approach a journalist in the right way, by Mike Ribbeck, South West Business Insider:

Have a story to tell. As a journalist, you are always looking for an angle to hang an article or feature on. That angle can be a new idea or concept or a great back story. Business audiences are smart and informed and are always on the lookout for new information, ideas and concepts.

Thanks again to everyone we’ve featured in our In Conversation With… interviews this year. We’re looking forward to many more in 2022.