After studying for three years at the University of Salford, I graduated with a 2:1 degree in Journalism in 2014. Outside of education, I have been a reporter for several different companies. I have presented over 100 live radio shows and more than 400 of my articles have been published online. In order to secure exclusive content, I have liaised with countless organisations and individuals. My communication skills have been paramount.
CelebMix
Freelance Journalist (February 2016 – Ongoing)
I interview celebrities and write articles for the entertainment website CelebMix on a freelance basis. Since joining the team, over 150 of my articles have been published and my work has been shared online by global superstars such as Avril Lavigne and Dua Lipa. I write all of my content on WordPress in line with Yoast SEO recommendations and design unique featured images for every piece on Adobe Photoshop. As a journalist, I have been in contact with numerous publicists and managers to: secure interviews, arrange exclusive music video premieres and organise competitions. For reviews, I have been invited to live events and sent private links to music before its official release. Other tasks include: covering events live on CelebMix’s Snapchat account, arranging celebrity social media takeovers, creating quizzes on Playbuzz and collaborating with fellow writers on yearly highlight articles.
Gaydio
Presenter & Producer (June 2014 – March 2020)
Work Experience (November 2013 – March 2014)
For almost six years, I was a voluntary radio presenter at Gaydio. I presented the news discussion programme The Exchange live on a regular basis and also produced editions of the show. I spent more than 100 nights live on air, read scripts clearly and concisely, interviewed key individuals, debated topics with panellists and communicated with listeners. As a producer, I was responsible for selecting relevant stories and writing broadcast-friendly scripts with interesting questions to encourage audience interaction. I also secured exclusive UK radio song premieres and edited clips using Adobe Audition. Prior to working on The Exchange, I helped recruit Salford LGBTQ+ residents for a series of radio workshops. Participants developed their skills and the show that we made raised awareness of HIV and AIDS.
Pixel Kicks
Digital Content Creator (May 2014 – October 2015)
Work Experience & Unite With Business Internship (June 2013 – May 2014)
After completing work experience and a paid internship, I was employed by Pixel Kicks as a freelance digital content creator. My work was published on their entertainment websites: OnePopz, OneDirection.net and SuprTickets. More than 250 of my articles were posted in total. As well as carrying out interviews with various celebrities, I liaised with the recording studio 80 Hertz and a number of different PR companies to secure exclusive acoustic sessions with singers and bands. I designed unique graphics with watermarks on which often went viral online. My write-ups were also often shared by the stars and their teams. In addition to driving traffic to all three websites, my content generated more social media followers. I monitored accounts for all three publications using Hootsuite and also completed numerous research pieces for Pixel Kicks as a company.
Newsquest
Work Experience (November 2013)
I spent a week at Newsquest working for their regional newspapers: the Sale & Altrincham Messenger and the Stretford & Urmston Messenger. Two lead stories with my byline were published in print alongside several filler articles that I wrote. I interviewed local residents, organised a photocall, answered telephone calls, proofread stories before they were printed, transcribed letters that were received and reacted to on-the-day news.
Early Experience
At the age of 14, I created a Doctor Who website titled Tardis and Torchwood Treasures. For three years, I updated it daily with the latest news. The BBC contacted me asking me to post regular press releases and the website received over 750,000 hits before closing. I also ran a website titled Avril Lavigne Fanatics which shared news about the singer. During secondary school, I presented on the school’s radio station Sale High Sounds.
