Sam D.
About me
| Sam D. | |
| Politics | |
| Politics | |
| Undergraduate | |
| Halifax | |
| 2005 | |
| United Kingdom |
My employment
| News Editor | |
| Bauer Media | |
| United Kingdom | |
| Journalism and publishing | |
| 2011 |
Like this profile?
Add this profile to your favourites so you can return to it later from your account.
A day in the life of a News Editor in the United Kingdom
My career history
I started freelancing for car magazines almost immediately after graduation.
Entered a graduate scheme with Kenyon Fraser, a Liverpool-based PR firm, shortly after graduation.
Stayed there for just over a year, perhaps should've stayed longer, but the firm was riven with rumours of an impending split/collapse, so applied for other things.
Found a job in Oxfordshire with automotive-sector PR specialist Market Engineering. Suffered brunt of 2008 recession, made redundant, savings wiped out, had to move back in with parents in Manchester.
Went back to working for AQA exam board (as I had during university holidays). Noted that teachers were being recruited when no-one else was. Began PGCE to train as English teacher, but soon realised I wasn't very good at it. Went back to freelancing and switched from PGCE in English to NCTJ PG Dip in Journalism.
Secured job at Bauer Media as Staff Writer on Classic Cars magazine before end of course. Promoted to News Editor last year.
Courses taken since graduation
NCTJ PG Dip Journalism
Where I hope to be in 5 years
I've already progressed from Staff Writer (the entry-level point on most magazines) to News Editor (a mid-level editorial position). Editorially, the positions above this are Deputy Editor, then Editor, and if I choose to leave writing behind and join the management, I could aim for Publishing Manager or such like. However, as I enjoy writing so much, I'm not sure I'd want to.
My advice to students considering work
Be true to yourself. Don't just chase the money, otherwise it'll become the only reason for getting up in the morning. Even if it means you won't join the international super-rich, it's better to enjoy your job, because you'll spend most of your life doing it. I found this out the hard way - I'd rather you didn't!
I'd say the crucial thing is to value your own humanity and livelihood ahead of the making of money. So long as you can make enough to get by, and can ignore the lure of keep-up-with-the-Joneses materialism, then you soon realise that having a job and a life that you actually enjoy is more important than making lots of money.
PR pays quite well, but as a sector it can be quite volatile. By 23, I was driving around in a Porsche and representing big-name automotive- and AV-sector clients while renting a nice apartment in an expensive area. By 25, I was nearly bankrupt, with any dreams I may have had of home ownership evaporating, because several clients went bust. It put everything in perspective and made me realise that stability, good friends and job satisfaction are far, far more important than an expensive car and an impressive-sounding address.
Secondly - the internet is not as important as you think it is. Use it carelessly and it will waste your time, destroy your reputation, devalue your work and make the future very bleak for things you love. Learn how to work with it, learn when to leave it alone, and don't let it rule your life or your job.
The Internet has sent seismic ripples through the world of journalism, and has confused matters a great deal - not least for many careers advisers, many of whom still don't understand how to use it to best effect.
However, remember this: As a journalist, you are a business owner. Your business is selling reportage and opinions. And like any other business, you shouldn't give your wares away free of charge. As a result, it's not always a good idea to put things up on the internet for free in the assumption you'll get noticed. Because you won't.
My advice about working in my industry
The Internet has sent seismic ripples through the world of journalism, and has confused matters a great deal - not least for many careers advisors, many of whom still don't understand how to use it to best effect.
However, remember this: As a journalist, you are a business owner. Your business is selling reportage and opinions. And like any other business, you shouldn't give your wares away free of charge. As a result, it's not always a good idea to put things up on the internet for free in the assumption you'll get noticed. Because you won't.
The reason for this is simple - no matter what the zeitgeist tells you, you are not a 'brand'. No-one puts your name into search engines wondering what you might have to say about the issues of the day. Big corporations don't pay for links to your articles to be bumped up Facebook's news feed. No - brands exist because they have acquired reputations, and success in journalism nowadays involves identifying the brands that are most strongly aligned with your work, and convincing them to host it and pay for it. Put simply, you can't shout loud enough on your own.
So - take pride in your work, but keep your ego on a leash, and remember, don't get on the wrong side of the internet, it may never forgive you.
What I do
As the News Editor, I co-ordinate all the news in the magazine. This starts by planning the various events that will be covered, several months in advance, and either pairing up reporters and photographers with events or going to them myself. The news section of the magazine also needs to be kept flexible to cope with breaking news, especially obituaries, or new government legislation.
There's a lot of writing - the big motor shows in places like Paris and Essen require feature-sized writeups, great photography, and interviews often using German and French. There's also a lot of editing, as many freelance reporters aren't trained journalists, and can end up burying the story in the wrong part of their copy, or over-providing copy. The clock is always ticking, as everything in journalism is subject to strict deadlines - and you never miss a deadline.
I also write features for the magazine on a monthly basis, which in this case involves driving some very exciting cars in often-glamorous locations, occasionally meeting famous people, writing entertaining stories, and seeing my face staring back at me from the shelves in WHSmith's.
Skills I use and how I developed them
Extracurricular skills:
The ability to entertain through writing is the most important aspect - and a quick glance at the blogosphere will tell you that this is something lots of people think they can do, but can't. This can only really be self-taught, by reading other writers' work and recognising what makes a good turn of phrase or perspective.
Other than this, the crucial skills involve having a keen nose for a story, knowing how to get the quotes that will set your report apart from all the rest, and having the kind of probing mind that keeps asking questions and refuses to accept the official 'PR' version of events. This is learnt through practice, getting to know when you're being 'pacified'.
Working knowledge of another European language helps - I have A-level German, something I've built upon since starting this job - as does knowing shorthand, something that's taught in any journalism course, although you'll end up developing your own.
However, the most important aspect of journalism is specialist knowledge. All journalists should have a specialism, and an ability to analyse it in depth, as this gives readers a reason for seeking out their opinion and reportage of the news. And this comes through a mixture of genuine enthusiasm, and a desire to learn and keep learning, whenever and wherever possible.
Apologies if this all sounds a bit 'abstract', but it is the nature of the job.
What I like most
I like almost everything! I've always loved writing, so the opportunity to entertain this way is great fun, and what's not to like about tearing around a racetrack in a Ferrari and getting paid for it? There's a lot of foreign travel - again, all paid for, sometimes in the finest hotels if a major manufacturer is picking up the tab - and I've competed in some classic rallies as a press entry too. In short, my job is an adventure.
What I like least
Very little, if I'm honest - I genuinely get up in the mornings wanting to go to work, something I've realised a lot of people don't have the luxury of doing.
That said, the deadlines can be punishing - I can fly back from a motor show late one night, finally collapsing in bed at 1.00am, knowing I'll have to be up at 7.00am, get into work and have the whole thing written up and the photographs downloaded for the art editor to design by early afternoon.
Also, as a journalist, you can often find yourself in situations where you aren't really welcome. This can vary from dealing with people who you might have inadvertently annoyed in the magazine, to having to merely nod and smile while trying to be personable with deeply prejudiced and offensive individuals who assume that you're 'one of them' because you happen to be at the same event.
Next steps...
If you like the look of Sam’s profile, the next steps are down to you! You can send Sam a message to find out more about their career journey.