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Penny James music and arts press & PR specialist

PODCAST [6] Getting media coverage for your music education and community music work – with Penny James, Cardiff-based media publicist

In this episode, I’m talking with Penny James, a freelance media publicist, about how get media coverage in newspapers and magazines, radio and TV.

Penny has held press manager roles with organisations such as Welsh National Opera and St David’s Hall, and she’s created national, and in some cases international coverage for people like Wales Millennium Centre, Music Theatre Wales, Black Rat Productions, Artes Mundi, and many others.

You can listen now below, or on Spotify (search for the name) and iTunes.

What’s in this episode?

We talk about:

  • how to prepare for approaching journalists
  • why you need a content calendar and a media toolkit and what they contain
  • the benefit of thinking creatively about where you place your stories
  • the importance of documenting your work
  • preparing a press release
  • what you can create or prepare for print, radio and TV journalists
  • nurturing relationships with journalists
  • whether exclusives are a good thing
  • how education/community departments can get gain support from their marketing department

Links for this episode

Contact Penny if you’d like to work with her on: penny.james@btopenworld.com 

There’s some great advice on working with the media on the Janet Murray blog  (Janet is an ex- Guardian journalist).

You can also download a two-page press release template & guidance sheet – along with various other templates and tip sheets – from my website.

Transcript

Music for Education & Wellbeing podcast [6] TRANSCRIPT – Penny James


About the music for education & wellbeing podcast

Listen in each month to get ideas, inspiration and practical advice from people involved in music education, community music, music therapy and more. Learn how you can break down barriers to music, through communications, advocacy and inclusive practice.

The music for the podcast was created by Otis Hynds, a young person working with Noise Solution.

  • Contact me if you’d like to be on the podcast.
  • Subscribe to my enews to hear about future episodes (and get free downloads – see below).
  • Visit Music Education Works to read and search for research evidence of the impact of music education.
  • Listen to another great music education-related podcast – the Youth Music podcast from UK music charity Youth Music 

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