This vacancy has now closed

Media and Stories Officer

  • Full time
  • £28,024 – £31,025
  • Edinburgh / Hybrid
  • Closing 31st July 2022


  • Advertised from 14th July 2022
  • This role is based within Sight Scotland and Sight Veterans Scotland.

Role

An exceptional and creative writer with a flair for engaging with people is being sought by Scotland’s largest visual impairment organisation. With a background in either journalism or media relations, you will interview service users and their families to write stories that demonstrate our impact for use in the media and to support our wider marketing, fundraising and policy aims. With interviewees that include veterans as well as pupils and parents at the Royal Blind School and our adult residential services, you will have strong relationship building skills and an ability to write stories in a personal and sensitive manner.

Responsibilities include:

  • Forward plan media opportunities.
  • Develop relationships with staff in services to identity media opportunities and individuals to interview.
  • Interview service users and families for media case studies.
  • Source, interview and adapt case study stories for fundraising, marketing and policy campaigns.
  • Write opinion pieces under the charity’s name for media and specialist publications.
  • Write and distribute press releases.
  • Prepare reactive media statements.
  • Answer media enquiries.
  • Develop relationships with key media contacts.
  • Prepare key messages for senior staff delivering media interviews, identifying potential questions and pitfalls to avoid.
  • Organise photocalls and arrange photo shoots.
  • Work with staff in services to write and/or edit a wide range of information resources relating to supporting people with visual impairment.

Essential experience of:

  • Working either as a journalist or as a Press Officer
  • Working with the media and securing positive media coverage
  • Writing human interest stories, including of a sensitive nature and / or about vulnerable individuals

Skills:

  • Strong relationship building skills and an ability to work with a wide range of stakeholders, internal and external, at all levels
  • Proactive at sourcing and identifying potential stories
  • Very high standard of written communication skills with a strong grasp of grammar
  • Ability to conduct interviews face to face and over the telephone in a calm, patient and empathetic manner.

Other:

  • Ability to work out of hours, for which TOIL will be granted
  • Full clean driving license

The post holder may be required to travel to areas across Scotland to conduct interviews with service users to use in media stories.

Requirements of this role are:

  • You are a member of the PVG scheme (paid for by Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans)
  • You will have a 6 month probation period
  • You participate in all staff training and development and maintain your own professional development

What we can offer you:

  • Generous annual leave entitlement
  • Generous pension scheme
  • Access to learning and development opportunities
  • Employee Assistance Programme

Application notes

To find out more and to apply, please visit our website.


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