How to Get a Journalist’s Attention in 30 Seconds (and then what?)
Journalists get hundreds of pitches a day, so how do you make yours one they can’t ignore? Join this session to hear from BBC journalists how you can hook a newsroom in under 30 seconds. Discover what makes a pitch irresistible, what is needed to turn a worthy story into a newsworthy headline, and how to build the resilience needed to handle inevitable rejection.
Speakers
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Holly GibbsSenior JournalistHolly Gibbs
Senior Journalist
BBC World ServiceHolly Gibbs is Senior Journalist for the BBC World Service, looking after a weekly edition of the Global News Podcast called ‘The Happy Pod’. She attended last year’s One Young World summit in Montréal and hosted a live panel about what would be different if young delegates were in charge. Prior to this, Holly worked in other roles within BBC News and Sky News.
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Harry BlighReporter and Podcast ProducerHarry Bligh
Reporter and Podcast Producer
BBC World ServiceHarry Bligh is a reporter and podcast producer at the BBC World Service, specialising in ethical storytelling and constructive journalism. He has spent the past few years working on the highly acclaimed Global News Podcast and its solutions-focused spin-off, The Happy Pod. Before joining the World Service, Harry worked in other radio and digital roles at the BBC, and previous to that in commercial podcasting — with experience spanning production, hosting, and show development.
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Jacob EvansJournalistJacob Evans
Journalist
BBC World ServiceJacob Evans is a journalist at the BBC World Service. His career started three years ago on the BBC’s graduate programme and he now works full time on the bulletins team. Here, he writes, produces and reports for our global radio news. He’s also a keen field producer and has recently returned from Jerusalem. Jacob has also reported from the UN Refugee Forum in Geneva and One Young World Summit in Montreal last year.
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Karen MartinEditorKaren Martin
Editor
BBC Global News PodcastKaren Martin is the Editor of the BBC’s most listened to international news podcast – the Global News Podcast. She also edits the weekly Happy Pod and The Newsroom Programme on the BBC World Service. A former reporter for newspapers, radio and TV, Karen now runs a 24/7 team of journalists covering stories from around the globe. She’s also the mother of two teenaged daughters, a huge supporter of younger women in their careers and an avid cold water swimmer.