My Career...
Public Relations officer, St Helena Government
November 2010 - Present
Responsible to the Chief Public Relations Officer for the provision of public relations support and implementation of the St Helena Government’s communications strategy.
Key Responsibilities include:
- To research, write and issue press releases on corporate policy issues
- Produce various newsletters for target audiences including the St Helena Diaspora, St Helena community
- Communicate with senior students at prince Andrew High School on SHG policy issues and decisions affecting them
- Prepare and commission promotional material for SHG educational and promotional campaigns including the identification of news and feature stories and carry out research/interviews to ensure balanced reporting/press releases relating to corporate policy issues.
- Lead promotion of public consultation campaigns on draft legislation and other proposed policy changes in liaison with relevant departments/stakeholders.
- Perform role of media monitor for SHG, alerting directors on areas that are in need of (a) press coverage or (b) clarification with recommendations on how this should be approached.
- Act as the primary point of contact for the local and international media and provide speedy responses
- Official photographer for the St Helena government
- Assist with conduct of public opinion and audience research surveying
- Maintain the SHG website to ensure that all information posted on the site is up to date and relevant and that “public interest” documentation is readily available.
Editor, St Helena Herald June 2008 - August 2010
Being the editor of a national newspaper on such a small island as St Helena made the job role a lot more diverse and required a range of skills that a substantive editor of a small national newspaper elsewhere might not necessarily use.
The main purpose of the post was to produce the weekly newspaper, the St Helena Herald, issued by the St Helena News Media Services.
The St Helena News Media Service employed just four staff, a Manager, Editor, Graphic Designer/Webmaster and a Receptionist. The Editor was the sole person involved in writing, taking photographs, editing and proofreading the weekly paper.
Key responsibilities included:
- To plan and format the St Helena Herald
- Gather material for the St Helena Herald, both text and visual from all sources, including that from external sources
- To compile the weekly editorial and any articles/reports for publication in the St Helena Herald
- Contribute constructive ideas to improve the news media services on St Helena
- To apply editorial discretion according to policy and maintain good public relations
- To train staff as required in the field of journalism and editing
- Proofreading of the weekly 24 page paper
The job allowed me to gain skills in researching, writing, proofreading, interviewing, page design and formatting, photography, communication, leadership and planning.