ACCOUNT MANAGER

When Journalista decided it needed a PR supremo, to add to its team of expert journalists and sector specialists, we chose the industry’s Young Communicator of the Year – Lorna Gott.

Working closely with all of our clients to ensure their campaigns are expertly planned and executed, Lorna is renowned as the queen of award winning PR strategies, especially on a budget.

She has received a number of accolades for her work for private and public sector organisations, which include McDonald’s, a Higher Education organisation and Essex County Council.

As well as winning Outstanding Young Communicator of the Year, at the prestigious Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) Awards, Lorna was also recently shortlisted by Local Government Communications Reputation Awards as ‘Next Generation of Communications Leaders’. In 2010, Lorna cleaned up at the CIPR Pride Awards, winning a total of four awards, for campaigns including; Essex Cares launch; Personal Care at Home Bill; Essex Book Festival and the community local library.

Lorna’s award winning charm is well earned, she has a BA (hons) in Public Relations and a CIPR Postgraduate Diploma in Public Relations.

Most inspiring communicator: Richard Branson tops my list for his ability to be one step ahead of the media agenda, always up for a creative photo opportunity and equipped with a juicy sound bite.

Campaign that changed the way I think: As a PR Assistant for McDonald’s I was on the receiving end of a flawless Greenpeace campaign. Tackling the crisis management against one of the world’s most determined pressure groups taught me about utlising multiple communication channels to reach multiple audiences and strategically executing a campaign.

Why I’m a Journalista: I’m the PR strategist to the team’s journalistic experience. I get to work in an industry I love and always bounce out of bed in the mornings.

Email: lorna@journalista.co.uk

Follow @lorna_gott

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Fresh from the pages of the Daily Mail, Oscar Holland is an award winning journalist with a detailed knowledge of the history of Tibet and a thirst for seeing his clients’ positive stories topping the headlines in the national news.

Read more …

JUNIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

The newest addition to the Journalista team, Daniel helps our clients interact with audiences across as many channels as possible. Whether he’s carrying out in-depth research or forging engaging social media content, his fresh approach helps us tell your stories in creative new ways.

An English Literature graduate from Loughborough University and the National University of Singapore, Daniel’s prolific social media campaigning saw him at the helm of two of the largest student election victories in British history. As well as knowing his tweets from his pokes, he is also an experienced filmmaker, graphic designer and Photoshop whiz.

Prior to joining Journalista, Daniel was part of the prestigious Global Fellowship programme, living in China to investigate the social, economic and environmental impact of globalisation. His extensive (and impressively bizarre) grasp of general knowledge won him a place on Loughborough’s University Challenge team and he continues to be a prize asset to the Journalista pub quiz team.

Favourite Tweeters: Ben Goldacre with his keen eye for factual accuracy, Alan Sugar for persistently bickering with Piers Morgan and Faisal Islam for his ability to tell the story in 140 characters.

Media I consume most regularly: I start off my day absorbing the headlines from BBC Breakfast before reading The Guardian and Daily Mail on my Kindle on the way to work and whilst keeping up with what’s trending on Twitter.

Why I’m a Journalista: I get to use my digital and creative skills to help make positive change.

Email: daniel.s@journalista.co.uk

Follow @DJKSaunders

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Daniel is an experienced media professional with specialist, in-depth knowledge and a wealth of contacts in the health and social care sector. He has six years’ experience as a journalist with regional newspapers and specialist publications. From 2008-11 he worked at Community Care, the UK’s leading publication for social care professionals where his roles included senior reporter and section editor. He was also praised for his work as manager of the Stand Up Now for Social Work campaign, which aimed to raise the public profile of the social work profession. An e-petition attracted 6,000 signatures, and it was twice nominated for Campaign of the Year in 2010.

A passionate believer in social justice, he is studying for an MSc in social research methods, and volunteers for NSPCC Childline and Islington Local Involvement Network (LINk), which provides a voice for service users in health and social care.

Favourite journalist: Ariel Leve, feature writer for the Sunday Times magazines, for tackling fascinating areas of society which are often neglected, such as the people who die alone with no one to attend their funeral; and Heidi Blake for her excellent investigative reporting in the Telegraph.

Story that has changed the way I think: a feature in the Guardian by Amelia Gentleman in January 2011, about the government’s removal of the mobility component of the disability living allowance. It brought home the hidden impact of the coalition government’s austerity plans on disabled people, buried in the small print of the comprehensive spending review. Powerful quotes included this one, from the mother of two disabled men: “They are targeting a section of society who are unable to defend themselves in any way at all. That seems to me immoral and cowardly”.

Media I consume most regularly: I read Guardian Media and Society and the New Statesman’s blogs online; usually buy Private Eye in the newsagents when I remember to do so. Guilty pleasure: catching up on the latest terrace gossip on a Liverpool FC fan forum.

Why I’m a Journalista: I hope my specialist knowledge and research skills add value to Journalista’s intelligent approach to PR.

Email: daniel@journalista.co.uk

OPERATIONS MANAGER

Experienced in working with organisations of all shapes and sizes, Joanne is a forward-thinking Operations Manager who constantly asks the question “how can we make this process easier?”

Joanne is enthusiastic for putting systems in place that help rather than hinder. Along with a sunny disposition, her attention to detail and willingness to help ensures that anything involving human resources will be looked after with the utmost care.

Favourite journalist: I’m a big fan of reading news online and tend to follow news websites rather than any particular journalist.  The BBC is probably my staple go-to resource. I’ve also lately been reading the Huffington Post and so far so good.

Story that changed the way I think: When Lehman Brothers collapsed in 2008 I saw for the first time how delicate our financial systems are; in the end it all comes down to trust. It was proven again when Northern Rock collapsed, as soon as we the public lost trust the business couldn’t survive.

Media I consume most regularly: Due to the speed in which technology changes I read a lot of techie blogs. I love reading about what other businesses are doing to be more effective in the way they operate.

Why I’m a Journalista: It’s exciting to be part of a fast growing company. Individually the people are great talents; however put them together and they make a brilliant team, (though we do need to sharpen up our pub quiz general knowledge!)

Email: joanne@journalista.co.uk