From newsroom to agency: What five years in PR has taught me

From newsroom to agency: What five years in PR has taught me.

This summer marks five years since I moved from journalism into PR. Given I’m close to reaching a decent landmark in my new – or not so new – career, I thought I’d reflect on a few things I’ve learned along the way.

Firstly, yes, I know I look too young to have had a 17-year media career – 12 years in journalism career, followed by almost five years in PR – but here we are. There are plenty of transferrable skills that have helped me along the way, such as having a strong feel for what a good news line is, being comfortable picking up the phone, as well as being a decent writer. Agency life has reinforced some points and made me learn a few lessons along the way.

The importance of the case study

My time in PR has reinforced just how powerful human stories are. The stories that perform the best are those where someone is named and pictured [or filmed] – and has an interesting story to tell. However journalism adapts in the months and years ahead, I’m confident that won’t change.  

In one recent example, we spoke to mum-of-four Yasmin Whittington as she was taking part in the Glasgow Kiltwalk to thank The Archie Foundation – a charity which supports babies, children and families across the North of Scotland who are experiencing a hospital stay or bereavement – for how they supported her family as they try to get a diagnosis for their daughter Elyza’s rare condition. The powerful nature of her family’s story led to strong media interest across the UK and beyond, and helped raise money for Yasmin’s charity challenge and shine a light on the great work carried out by the charity  

Relationships are important, but a good story will always win

Whether it’s with journalists or clients, being someone that people like and trust is a great starting point, especially in this new AI world. On the journalist point: One day on LinkedIn you’ll see a post from a PR arguing that relationships with journalists aren’t important, it’s all about the story and if the story is poor, you stand no chance. The next day you’ll see a counter post saying PR is all about relationships, and you need a good contact book to secure coverage. For me the truth is somewhere in between. Being friendly with a journalist improves the chances of them answering your call or reading your email, but ultimately story is king and determines the end result.

Be nice to people along the way

This can apply to any career, but I’ve always tried to be nice to people I work with whatever their role in the business. There’s never been a cynical motive to doing this but it’s interesting the way things pan out. Various younger journalists I became friendly with in my newsroom days are now senior in journalism or PR in similar roles to me, so simply being a considerate human being can be very helpful as you progress with your career.

Becoming a mini-expert in all sorts of subjects

One of the most enjoyable aspects of agency life is slowly building knowledge on a variety of topics -often in areas you knew very little about. I already had a decent grounding in sport but over the past five years I’ve also worked with an accountancy firm, renewable companies and a port operator, as well as clients in football, basketball and many others. One day you might be writing about how George Pig wearing a hearing aid can help removing stigma around hearing loss and the next explaining growth in the liquid bulks market. The variety has been really interesting, and it’s been great to visit clients in person and see first-hand the work they do.

Great coverage rarely happens by accident

As a journalist, especially at the start of my career, I wasn’t that clued into the PR work that goes on behind the scenes to help turn a good story into a great outcome. The best results rarely come from sending out a press release and hoping for the best. For companies, they come from working with people who take the time to really understand your business and its priorities. This is essential to identifying the best news angles and navigating a busy news landscape to secure meaningful coverage that supports the client’s business objectives.

Nearly five years in, I’m still learning all the time, but it’s been a great move for me both professionally and personally. I look forward to seeing what the next five years bring and writing my next blog in 2031.