I entered the world of public relations in February 2009 and quickly discovered the job involved much more than just writing press releases.
My first job on the so-called “dark side” is with a consumer communications agency in Brisbane that takes care of a variety of brands, from small local retailers to major multinational corporations. The variety and challenging nature of the role was exactly what I was looking for.
While property is one of my main strengths, I work across a variety of accounts including retail, hospitality, technology and media. There is much I am still learning but the experience – albeit unanticipated – is incredible. Already in this short time I’ve been involved in much more than media relations. Brand development, crisis communications, marketing, event management, social media and copywriting are also required from clients.
I’m a bit of a tech geek so the emergence of social media in the publicity realm is quite exciting. A growing number of our clients are jumping on the web bandwagon and realising that reaching a digital audience requires more than a website. We’re exploring ways of promoting clients with blogs, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. It’s an emerging service but one that is definitely the way of the future.
Working in PR is also about collaboration and the team at my current agency is amazing. Throwing around ideas in our regular brainstorms is a delight, as well as hilarious. We are a young and dynamic group that shares an infectious passion for the industry.
If you had told me even two years ago that I’d wind up in PR, I might have laughed. However I’m loving every minute of it and think this is exactly where I should be. Despite its reputation, it’s not all champagne and air kisses – this is a demanding job that serves an important purpose when it comes to business.
Photography has always been a strong passion and while my formal training in this area is not extensive, I have worked hard over the years to develop and refine my skills. I own several different camera from pin holes through to digital SLRs and taking pictures is an almost-daily occurrence.
Brisbane is a beautiful city and I love heading out with a camera to explore. These are just some of the shots I’ve taken since I moved here in 2003.
I’m intrigued by the art of fashion photography. There are so many things to consider – the model, the outfit, the setting and the tone of the shoot. While a journalist, I got to orchestrate quite a few mini-shoots around the place that were a lot of fun.
And there are many more that I’ve taken over the years of a variety of people, places and things – photos of friends, family, nature and so on.
Working as a news reporter for two years exposed me to a variety of professional challenges and rewarding experiences. Oil spills, house fires, bomb scares, street brawls, protests, plane crashes and political scandals were just some of the events that I helped convey to the general public.
During my final year of university, I was offered a position with Fairfax Digital to work on the new brisbanetimes.com.au project that would launch the following March. It was an exciting experience and I had the opportunity to explore many different aspects of the job – news, feature writing, website production, photography and video.
It’s hard to say which part I enjoyed the most, or even which reporting round I preferred. I honestly enjoyed it all – writing, taking my own photos and putting the package together to go on the web.
I’m a tech nerd, but I got a thrill when I saw my byline in print. My work was often syndicated across the Farifax network, including in major metropolitan outlets like The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. My coverage of an Indonesian tall ship washing up on a beach near Gympie during a violent storm made the front page of both.
I won a Queensland Media Award in 2007 for my coverage of a tragic ferry accident on Sydney Harbour that claimed the lives of several people, including 14-year-old Brisbane ice skater Morgan Innes. I also received a highly commended for my investigative series into a long-running property dispute on the Gold Coast.
In addition to news, property was another topic I was particularly fond of and over the course of two years I developed some very strong contacts that helped me break significant stories. Queenslanders love property, so my articles were often top-rating and generated a lot of discussion.
Working in digital media meant there were also a couple of opportunities to try video reporting, including a parade to welcome home returning troops from the Middle East and the launch of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival. Speaking of fun, I also wrote about television and entertainment quite a bit and covered Big Brother for its last two years of production.
It was a wild ride and I loved every moment of it. Here is a look back at some of the more memorable stories I covered.
