Freelance Focus with Verité Reily Collins
Verité Reily Collins is a freelance journalist who writes for titles in the US, UK and Australia, with experience in the travel industry but covering a range of topics including dog sledding, antiques and health matters as editor of www.after-cancer.com. In this week’s Focus she tells us more about herself and her take on PRs.
About your journalism:
What do you write about?
Anything readers want to know about.
Where are we likely to see your work?
In US, Australian and British magazines – sometimes ‘diary’ pieces in FT,Times, etc., and as research for major aviation and travel stories in national media.
What’s the most memorable work you’ve done?
The next piece – everyone is always interesting to interview.
What interview or feature would you love the chance to do?
Gordon Brown telling British people that Government has decided to cancel 2012 Olympics, and help aged, disabled and sick with money saved.
About you and PRs:
Where do you source ideas for articles?
Anywhere – from back of brain from contacts I remember in dim distant past, from Internet, from press releases – but mostly from visits and face-to-face talking to PRs.
Something happens that catches imagination – or I visit somewhere and find a fascinating story. Or I get bitten by a rabid dog and think “Ah hah – story” – and it was best-seller that year.
How can PRs be useful to you?
Sending information and photos promptly when asked.
How and when do you like them to get in touch?
Any time they have a good story.
Do you find press conferences, trips, parties and other events useful or an interruption?
Extremely useful – I am a ‘people’ person, and meeting and seeing them sparks off story ideas.
If you could make one change to the way PRs deal with you, what would it be?
When inviting journalists to a press event, MEET us at door, INTRODUCE us to useful contacts, DON’T have loud music when we are trying to interview the CEO, PROVIDE chairs at conferences so we can sit down when writing, and NEVER come up and ask “Are you awright then?”
About you:
How would you pay the bills if you weren’t a journalist?
I have worked at conference organising and event planning in the past.
If we gave you £1000, how would you spend it?
Probably on whatever looked good in Hardy’s (the silversmiths).
What books are on your bedside table, magazines in your bag, or blogs on your screen?
Anything historical.
[lnk|http://www.journalistdirectory.com/pr/XzLL/Verite-Reily%20Collins|_blank|Verité Reily Collins on the Freelance Journalist Directory]
[img|jpg|Verité Reily Collins]