Media & Stories Officer

Job Description

The Media and Stories Officer will source stories and case studies of service users and families to use in press and promotional campaigns to support marketing and fundraising aims. The postholder is responsible for building strong relationships with staff,service users and their families to write powerful human-interest stories that demonstrate the impact of the charities work.The post holder is also responsible for working with visual impairment experts across the organisation to develop information resources.The main responsibilities and accountabilities of this role are:

• Develop a strategy to raise the profile of the charities in a wide range of relevant media across Scotland.
• Forward plan media opportunities.
• Develop relationships with staff in services to identity media opportunities and individuals to interview.
• Interview service users and families for media case studies. *
• Source, interview and adapt case study stories for fundraising, marketing and policy campaigns.
• Write opinion pieces under the charitys name for media and specialist publications.
• Write and distribute press releases.
• Organise photocalls and arrange photo shoots.
• Answer media enquiries.
• Log all press cuttings and report on media coverage.
• Develop relationships with key media contacts.
• Prepare key messages for senior staff delivering media interviews, identifying potential questions and pitfalls to avoid.
• Organise photocalls and arrange photo shoots.
• Manage contract with media database company, add and train new users.
• Research and write entries for awards that could lead to positive PR.
• Work with staff in services to write and/or edit a wide range of information resources relating to supporting people with visual impairment, liaising closely with the Marketing Manager to plan their inclusion on the website.

*Individuals being interviewed for media/fundraising/marketing/policy case studies include people with sight loss who may also have other disabilities, such as a hearing or cognitive impairment, and families and carers. Service users being interviewedrange in age, from children to older people.

• Contribute to the work of the Marketing and Communications department.
• Support cross team projects and events.
• Work effectively and collaboratively with colleagues across the department.
• Proofread and edit brochures, magazines and leaflets written by other colleagues.
• Represent the organisation at conferences, exhibition stands and events.

To do this role, you will have:Experience of:

• Working either as a journalist or as a Press Officer.
• Working with the media and securing positive media coverage.
• Writing human interest stories, including of a sensitive nature and / or about vulnerable individuals.

Skills:

• Strong relationship building skills and an ability to work with a wide range of stakeholders, internal and external, at all levels.
• Proactive at sourcing and identifying potential stories.
• Very high standard of written communication skills with a strong grasp of grammar.
• Ability to conduct interviews face to face and over the telephone in a calm, patient and empathetic manner.

Other:

• Ability to work out of hours, for which TOIL will be granted.
• Full clean driving license (pool cars are available).
• The post holder may be required to travel to areas across Scotland (Paisley, and West Lothian) to conduct interviews with service users to use in media stories.

It is desirable that you have experience and / or training / qualification as a journalist.This is a permanent position reporting into the Director of Marketing and Communications.

Keyskills :
Digital MarketingJournalismPress ReleasesPhoto ShootsStorytelling