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    Michael Siva

    Michael Siva

    Freelance writer and public relations practitioner

    Borehamwood, United Kingdom

    The Caribbean Chef As Director of a small catering business, I cooked some of the food, sold, and distributed Caribbean-style lunches and dinners to customers in and around Borehamwood....Read moreThe Caribbean Chef
    As Director of a small catering business, I cooked some of the food, sold, and distributed Caribbean-style lunches and dinners to customers in and around Borehamwood. I marketed the business via the production of flyers, the creation of a website, and the placing of ads in the local newspaper.

    Norwood
    I covered, wrote and issued press releases on Norwood’s activities, including a visit by the Queen to the charity’s facilities in Berkshire, which I placed in newspapers such as the Daily Star, the Times, the Express, and the Financial Times. I also worked with the finalists of the Apprentice TV programme on a fund-raiser, and secured national press coverage for the event. I have also worked extensively with the ethnic press, the specialist press, and the local press to ensure that good news coverage was maintained about the charity in the news.

    Middlesex University
    I wrote and placed stories about exciting projects carried out by the University in national newspapers. For example, I highlighted the University’s unique educational toy-making department in the Independent, the Guardian, and the Financial Times. I wrote articles for the University’s in-house newsletter, and worked with the local press to ensure that good news coverage was maintained about the University in the news.

    Muslim Aid
    I worked as a Media Officer at Muslim Aid, where I created from scratch media lists, press release formats, a communications strategy, a clippings service, and a press release plan for the organization. Prior to my appointment, there had never been a Media Officer or Press Officer at Muslim Aid, and that was reflected in their lack of a public profile.

    I raised the public profile of Muslim Aid, and increased the exposure the charity has achieved in the media. I also worked on the in-house magazines, such as In Focus and the Annual Review. In addition, I kept the Muslim Aid website updated in terms of press releases and news stories.

    As Communications Manager of Muslim Aid I supervised a staff of three. I planned the organisation’s media strategy, supervised the delivery of media tasks, and I undertook the more important and time-sensitive press-related issues.

    Theatre Royal Stratford East
    I worked as a press officer at this famous East End theatre. I would research, write and disseminate press releases, I would liaise with journalists and place stories, and I would invite critics to press nights, which were hosted by me. I had overall responsibility for placing stories about upcoming plays in the media. I also maintained a clippings service, and monitored the news for the organisation.

    I set up interviews for key members of staff to further publicise shows. I generated news stories on The Battle of Green Lanes in the Times and the Evening Standard, as well as TV programmes on BBC and Sky News. The artistic director said that coverage achieved for that play was greater than any other coverage achieved for any other play in the theatre’s long history. I have also worked extensively with the ethnic press, the specialist press, and the local press to ensure that good news coverage was maintained about the theatre in the entertainment news.

    Kingsbury High School
    I worked as an Open Learning Centre Officer. I was responsible for opening and closing the library, giving out and returning books, purchasing books, and finding relevant literature to address inquiries. I also supervised the computer rooms, dealt with complaints with computers and printers, and monitored the use of the internet by the children.

    Amnesty International UK
    I worked in a busy press office, where I had constant liaison with the media. I followed up on media requests, including sourcing data, and disseminating information to journalists in a timely manner, with tight deadlines in mind. I was also authorised to give out interviews to the media, including newspaper, radio and television journalists. As a spokesman for Amnesty International UK, I did a live telephone interview on Channel 5. I have given countless interviews on radio, from the student university stations to the national news programmes, and including regional BBC stations. On average, I gave about three to four interviews a week on radio about Amnesty International UK’s stance on a variety of subjects.

    In addition to working well with the media, I was required to talk authoritatively on a variety of subjects, involving political developments in a number of countries around the world. I have been quoted talking about Amnesty International UK’s position on human rights in Afghanistan, Guantanamo Bay, Zimbabwe, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Yugoslavia, Egypt, Turkey and west Africa. I am able to brief myself under pressure from very short deadlines.

    I have also composed letters to the media, and I have put together and edited press releases. I have disseminated press releases on a timely basis, and I have conducted the necessary follow-up to ensure they have reached the desired destination.

    Consumer Affairs Commission
    I was responsible for public education programmes in the western parishes of St James, Hanover, Westmoreland and Trelawny. I also conducted grocery, pharmacy, textbook, petroleum, LPG, and kerosene surveys in these parishes. I also handled consumer-related complaints from these four parishes.

    Jamaica Observer/Radio Jamaica
    While working as a freelance journalist, I covered sports in western Jamaica for the Jamaica Observer newspaper, including football and cricket competitions, and occasional stagings of track and field, basketball, netball, tennis, swimming, motor racing, cycling, chess and dominoes events. I also gave traffic reports on Radio Jamaica, and I served as a news reporter on occasions out of the Montego Bay office. At times, I also freelanced for a couple of public relations firms.

    Radio Jamaica
    As Sports Editor, I covered a number of sports, including cricket, football, track and field, boxing, horse racing, swimming and tennis. I also created programmes, hosted sports talk-shows, formulated budgets, and put together teams for sports radio coverage. I also did live commentary on a number of football, cricket and boxing matches. I did commentary on a number of Jamaica’s World Cup football qualifying matches leading up to their historic entry into the 1998 tournament in France.

    National Water Commission
    As Community Relations Officer, I was responsible for liaising with communities in St James, Hanover, Westmoreland and Trelawny about matters relating to the distribution of drinking water, and the collection of sewage. I was responsible for putting out press releases about system failures, the creation of new systems, and updates about the installation of new sewage projects in Montego Bay and Negril.

    Montego Bay Marine Park
    As Public Relations Officer, I produced audio-visual aids such as videos, slide shows, bumper stickers, flyers, brochures and posters to help in the Park’s attempts to educate the public about environmental concerns. I also gave slide show demonstrations, gave interviews on the electronic and print media, and addressed various community groups about the needs of the Marine Park. I also put out press releases on matters of interest to the Park.

    Gleaner newspaper
    As a Feature Writer, I wrote articles for the Daily, Sunday and Financial Gleaner with a soft-news perspective. I wrote human interest stories, personality profiles, small business features, and light humorous pieces. I also covered the environment and health beats for the Daily Gleaner.

    Communications Consultants & Public Relations Operations

    As an Account Executive with responsibility for feature writing, I wrote articles for clients such as Courts, Air Jamaica, the Wisynco group of companies, Hardware & Lumber, Wray & Nephew, and the Jamaica Livestock Association.

    Jamaica Information Service
    As a Feature Writer, I worked on a number of booklets produced by the JIS, such as Budget debate summaries, government brochures, and government advertisements.

    Area Covered: Public relations, press office, journalism, editing, publications


    Work Experience
    -----------------

    Summary: 2009 – 2010 Director The Caribbean Chef, Borehamwood

    2008 – 2009 PR Officer Norwood, London

    2007 – 2008 Press Officer Middlesex University

    2006 – 2007 Communications Manager Muslim Aid

    2005 – 2006 Media Officer Muslim Aid

    2004 – 2005 Press Officer Theatre Royal Stratford East

    2002 – 2004 Interpreter Patois Personnel, London

    2003 – 2004 Learning Centre Officer Kingsbury High School, London

    2001 – 2002 Press Officer Amnesty International UK, London

    1999 – 2001 Consumer Protection Officer Consumer Affairs Commission, MoBay

    1996 – 1999 Freelance journalist Jamaica Observer/Radio Jamaica, MoBay

    1995 – 1996 Sports Editor Radio Jamaica, Kingston

    1993 – 1995 Community Relations Off. National Water Commission, MoBay

    1991 – 1993 Public Relations Officer Montego Bay Marine Park, Montego Bay

    1990 – 1991 Feature Writer Gleaner newspaper, Kingston

    1989 – 1990 Account Executive Communications Consultants Limited, Kgn

    1987 – 1989 Account Executive Public Relations Operations (PRO), Kgn

    1985 – 1987 Feature Writer Jamaica Information Service, Kingston
    Job Title: Freelance writer
    Company: Jamaica Information Service
    Description: A short critique of William Hague's biography of William Wilberforce.
    From:01/Apr/2011 To:01/Apr/2011

    Job Title: Freelance writer
    Company: Jamaica Information Service
    Description: A brief critique of William Hague's biography of William Wilberforce.
    From:01/Apr/2011 To:01/Apr/2011

    Job Title: Freelance writer
    Company: Jamaica Information Service
    Description: Short critique of William Hague's biography of William Wilberforce.
    From:01/Apr/2011 To:01/Apr/2011

    Job Title: Freelance writer
    Company: Jamaica Information Service
    Description: A brief critique of William Hague's biography of William Wilberforce.
    From:01/Apr/2011 To:01/Apr/2011

    Job Title: Freelance writer
    Company: Jamaica Information Service
    Description: A variety of freelance writing assignments.
    From:01/Jun/2011 To:02/Jun/2011

    Job Title: Freelance writer
    Company: Jamaica Information Service
    Description: A variety of freelance writing jobs.
    From:01/Jun/2011 To:02/Jun/2011

    Job Title: Freelance writer
    Company: Jamaica Information Service
    Description: A variety of freelance writing jobs.
    From:01/Jun/2011 To:02/Jun/2011

    Job Title: Freelance writer
    Company: Jamaica Information Service
    Description: I have done a variety of freelance jobs.
    From:01/Jun/2011 To:02/Jun/2011

    Job Title: Freelance writer
    Company: Jamaica Information Service
    Description: I did a range of freelance writing assignments.
    From:01/Jul/2011 To:02/Jul/2011

    Job Title: Freelance writer
    Company: Jamaica Information Service
    Description: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/westernnews/9475_Investigations-into-Whitmore-Malcolm-case-proceed-slowly
    From:01/Jul/2011 To:02/Jul/2011

    Education Summary: University of the West Indies
    Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications and Social Sciences (Upper Second Class honours) (1982-1985)

    Jamaica College
    ‘A’ Level passes in History and Accounts (1982)
    ‘O’ Level passes in English Language, Mathematics, Accounts, History, Economics and General Paper (1980 – 1982)
    CXC passes in English Language, Mathematics, Accounts, History, and Principles of Business (1980)

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