I have worked in the media for 27 years and offer freelance journalism, copywriting and editing, press release writing, media consultancy, media training and feature writing as well...Read moreI have worked in the media for 27 years and offer freelance journalism, copywriting and editing, press release writing, media consultancy, media training and feature writing as well as flexible PR and media packages for small businesses. I am currently working as editor for a community media group and also provide a comprehensive copywriting service for clients that require content for both web and print.
I am a fully qualified and highly experienced journalist and hold the NCTJ Proficiency Certificate in Journalism. I have worked in regional and national newspapers, magazines, television research and production and online. I also work as a university lecturer in journalism and PR and have written two books, as well as working as a press officer and a corporate communications manager for one of the country's largest police forces.
My fee will reflect the fact that I am a professional and experienced journalist and PR consultant.
CV
Sarah Edwards: Freelance journalist and media consultant
I have worked in the media for 27 years as a journalist and as a PR and media consultant. My experience spans local and national newspapers, magazines and television production and I also lecture for The University of Westminster in London and for Oxford Brookes University. As well as working as a journalist I run training workshops for small businesses to help them with their PR, and offer flexible media and DIY PR packages.
Current role:
Owner of mediabird.co.uk, a small creative consultancy offering flexible PR and communications packages for small businesses, and the third sector.
Currently I am providing services for a global company, as well as PR and communication training packages and services for small, local businesses and a large social enterprise.
Corporate Communications Manager
Thames Valley Police
July 2013 – End of 2014 Based at TVP force Headquarters South, Kidlington, Oxford
I currently work as a manager within the Corporate Communications department at Thames Valley Police. My role involves me being part of the Senior Management Team and I manage a team of communication officers who deal with internal and external publicity for the entire police force. This includes leading external campaigns, internal change campaigns and dealing with the media.
Prior to this I worked as a communications officer at Thames Valley Police, from December 2010. My role included editing the internal force magazine, and working in the press bureau writing press releases, organising press conferences and dealing with media enquiries.
I have also delivered media training course for new officers and CID officers, and have worked as a communications officer helping to deliver projects, campaigns and messages internally and externally.
Recently, I was part of the Gold Command group during the flooding incident, and also worked on a high profile murder case at the end of 2013.
Group Editor-Oxford Community Media
July 2010 – Present
I am the group editor for Oxford Community Media. We run 13 community/hyperlocal newspapers in Oxford and Reading and also train community journalists through our social enterprise. Our work involves engaging with volunteers who have troubled and challenged backgrounds, and encouraging them to get involved with our community newspaper projects. Our social enterprise has recently won a Santander SEDA Award for innovation and we have trained hundreds of volunteers over the last few years, many of whom have gone on to secure work and further training.
Career development
1986-1989 I left college aged 18 in 1986 with four A levels and several O levels, all grades A-C with an A* in English, and was taken on as a trainee reporter for a free local newspaper called The Aylesbury Plus. The paper sponsored me to take my NCTJ training and I completed this within two years at Cardiff University, achieving a distinction. Duties included court and council reporting, crime and human interest stories and features.
1989-1991: Senior reporter with The Herald and Post series, and later I became News Editor. I was responsible for launching four new titles in the series in Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire. I was responsible for running the news desks for all the titles, and managing teams of reporters. This was when I also began freelancing for a number of national newspapers.
1991: Chief Reporter for The Bucks Advertiser in Aylesbury. I carried out a lot of court and crime reporting as well as developing special feature pages dealing with topics such as fashion and beauty and the environment.
1991-1993: Senior District Reporter for The Oxford Mail and The Oxford Times. I was based in a district office in a very busy area of Oxfordshire. My role was to provide a steady stream of hard news stories and features for the four edition daily paper and the weekly broadsheet.
1993-1996: Television researcher and later associate producer for a number of independent production companies, including Michael Hurll Television and Mentorn in London, and Wall to Wall and Maverick in Birmingham. I worked on programmes with high profile celebrities including the British Comedy Awards, and also worked on a documentary for ITV around missing people, among other projects.
1996-1999: I took a short baby break after my first child but continued to work freelance and started working as a PR consultant for small local businesses. I also started my own gardening company.
1999-2005: Following the birth of my second child in 1999, my husband left me so I returned to full time work. I was a writer for In Business magazine which is part of the Newsquest group and one of the colour supplements produced for The Oxford Mail and Times. I introduced a new section to the magazine that focussed on women in business. As a result of the features I was writing for the magazine, I was offered an increasing amount of freelance work as a media and PR consultant for local businesses. This worked well as my position was part time.
2005-2008: Fashion and Beauty writer and later editor for the magazines and supplements section for Newsquest Oxford. I was responsible for creating content for several full colour magazines and also was the launch features editor for two publications. I also continued to work freelance as this was a part time position. I also wrote a regular column called Home Front which chronicled the ups and downs of single parenting!
2008-2010: During this time I continued to work freelance and provided PR and media consultancy support for businesses including The Open University, Bravissimo, Oxfam, The Buggy Snuggle Company and many other small, boutique lifestyle businesses. I was also approached by a publishing company and wrote my first book which was a guide for single parents. I also continued to write freelance for The Oxford Mail and worked with The Media Trust as a volunteer.
2010-present: Four years ago I was approached by a social enterprise in Oxford who needed a part time freelance editor to look after their 12 page bi monthly community newspaper. Leys News is now just one of ten community newspapers that I edit, and is a monthly newspaper. Leys News is part of our newly formed umbrella organisation Oxford Community Media. We work in partnership with local councils and Oxford Brookes University and have developed our own training course which is delivered by me with funding from Oxford Brookes. During this time I wrote my second book which is a guide to internet dating.
2009-present: I have combined the work at OCM with working in the Corporate Communications Department at Thames Valley Police. I started as a temp, editing the in house magazine, then worked as a communications officer and last year I was appointed as a Communications Manager. I lead a team of communications officers and we run internal and external campaigns. I also work closely with the Press Bureau and worked as the Gold communications lead during the recent flooding. I was also very involved with a high profile murder case at the end of last year.
Qualifications:
O Levels: English literature, English language, French, art, geography, history, media studies, maths
A Levels: Media studies, English, history, geography
NCTJ Proficiency Certificate in Journalism: Cardiff University
For more information and to request references please email:
mediabird@btinternet.com
Area Covered: Oxfordshire/Bucks/Northants/Warwickshire/Wiltshire/Gloucestershire
Work Experience
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Summary: 25 years as a journalist in web, newspapers, magazines and television, staff and freelance. I also work as a media consultant and help small companies to improve their media profiles through workshops, training courses and one to one training sessions.
Company: Camino Holidays
Description:
Sarah Edwards
I first met Sarah Edwards in her capacity as a journalist, when she came to interview me for the Oxford Times. When I subsequently heard that she was starting her own PR Company I knew that she would be the best person to handle my PR.
Her background in journalism makes her perfectly placed to help with media coverage as she is able to help you get the best possible media attention because she knows what will appeal to who – and can tailor your press releases to exactly the right market.
She is flexible and happy to work the number of hours that I can afford, which can vary from month to month. I know of no other PR company prepared to do this and it makes a huge difference for a small company like mine. It means that I can ask for more of her time and work when the money is there – and shrink the hours when it isn’t.
She likes to have regular meetings with her clients to make sure that she knows exactly what they want (which of course constantly changes as the company evolves) and at these meetings she brings lots of new and invariably good ideas to the table, which encourage you to try new ideas to promote the company.
When you sign with Sarah she makes you feel as if she is part of your team and no matter how busy she is she always makes sure that she has time to deal promptly with any queries you have. She is always positive and supportive, but truthful - which matters as it’s pointless to work with someone who tells you only what they think you want to hear. Sarah tells me if she thinks I’m going wrong, and then steers me right, and that is more than useful – it’s essential.
The only reason why I would not wholeheartedly endorse any small business to have Sarah Edwards handling their media and PR is because in the ideal world I would like to have her all to myself!
Rosi Reed
Camino Holidays
Education Summary: NCTJ proficiency certificate in journalism