So I’ve worked in the NHS for five months now and I’m a bit further along in understanding how it all fits together.
So far in life I’ve been pretty lucky with health, so this job is my first real encounter with hospitals and medical staff and it’s fascinating to see how they work.
In my usual cross eyed way these are my six lessons that comms and PR people can learn from the medical profession. Continue reading
What started out as a germ of an idea with a couple of my contacts on Twitter has grown into a broad series of posts about the North East PR and communications scene.
What came out of a few light hearted and sometimes tongue-in-cheek questions was a really positive picture of a region that’s getting its mojo back after some extremely tough years.
Austerity and downturn has hit us harder than most other places, but these blogs speak to me about an area full of confidence, humour, defiance, innovation, hard graft, excitement and crucially a desire to roll up sleeves get things done.
I was also so impressed (but not surprised) at the willingness of PR professionals in these parts to share their ideas so readily so that others can learn from them. Make no mistake – I’ve learned loads from looking at these posts and would say they make some essential reading for anyone looking to break into the profession.
I’d like to say a massive thank you to everyone who contributed.
One of my least favourite newspapers caused controversy earlier this year with a pretty shabbily informed article comparing the North East to the run down US city of Detroit. It implied a sense of hopelessness and self pity, well if you work in comms take a look at some of these and see if it changes your mind……
As the transfer deadline day window gets ready to slam shut, I’m delighted to be able to announce our first big money, foreign (to Tyneside anyway) Premier league, star signing to NE comms conversation FC.
Word of our North East comms conversation has spread beyond the region and reached some of the champions league big boys. In true David Craig style I’m delighted to be able to boisterously introduce one of my favourite bloggers Dan Slee from Comms2point0.
For those who don’t know http://www.comms2point0.co.uk is the go to website for thought leadership around communications in the public sector. For me it’s the must-read source of information and learning for the sector I work in.
To stretch the local football metaphore even further he’s even able to boast some local Geordie credentials having spent his uni years in the toon.
Could he be the next messiah? Lets see….. Continue reading
I really hope you’ve enjoyed all the blogs so far and I want to say a massive thank you to everyone who has contributed to a great conversation about our industry in the North East.
Because I would never ask people to do anything I wouldn’t do myself, I’ve had a go at answering some of the questions that I’ve been pestering everyone else with.
I’ve strapped myself down, adopted an aggressive tone, turned on the interrogation lamp (normal weekend stuff really) and tried to add my ten pence worth to the debate.
Rachel McBryde is the Business Development Director at Gardiner Richardson.
It’s great to get the views of someone so senior at one of the region’s top PR agencies and add more to this conversation about communications in the North East. There are some fantastic tips here for people looking to break into the industry as well as some great commentary on how PR is changing.
Stuart Mackintosh spent nine years in journalism, including a spell as Chief Reporter at The Northern Echo, before moving into communications in 2006.
He has had two spells in North-East local government comms – either side of two years as a consultant – and is a former winner of the CIPR North-East Outstanding Young Communicator award.
Stuart is currently Communications Manager at pensions administrator RPMI, in Darlington
I’ve admired his work (and excellent blogging) for a long time and now he has his say on the North East comms scene….
When I started asking people to take part in this conversation about PR in the North East, Jill Farmer was someone I really wanted to take part.
Having studied and worked alongside Jill I knew that she’d have a great perspective on what’s what.
She’s analytical and focused on detail in a way that Shames me so I knew she’d offer some good insight on the business.
Caroline Latta has been something of a doyen of health sector communications in the North East for a while now.
She’s currently working as Senior communications and engagement manager at the NHS North of England Commissioning Support and she’s been kind enough to share her thoughts with this blog.
Some say PR and media stalwart, others say Mr Northumberland.
Either way when Gordon Arnott talks, people listen.
A former journalist and senior communicator at One North East Gordon is also a multiple CIPR North East Pride award winner. He’s taken some time out to offer some words of wisdom on the state of the sector in the North East and it makes some fascinating reading…
Today we welcome Southerner in exile and long suffering QPR fan Christian Cerisola to the North East comms conversation.
This exotically named, urbane chap is a director of GluePR. He answered these questions in true ‘Arry Redknap style through an open car window while driving from his workplace at speed.
But unlike Harry he provides some absolute, solid gold pearls of wisdom on PR and communications, including one of my favourite quotes ever – it’s the tweeting bollocks one (see below) as if you had to ask…….
a day without OJ - A comms, digital & PR blog by Ross Wigham 