About me

Megan India McGurk

4 Redclyffe Avenue | Manchester | M14 5RG

The New York Times Company

620 Eighth Avenue | New York | NY 10018

I'd like to apply for the role of Press Officer at The New York Times in London. I'm a confident and ambitious PR professional. I have three years experience working in a variety of UK communications roles. In Bristol, I coordinated national film campaigns at Film Hub South West, Watershed, and city-wide music campaigns for Colston Hall concert venue. Prior to this I worked as Events and Promotions Coordinator at Bristol's renowned gig venue Mr. Wolfs and as a PR Intern at Saffron's Records. I'm highly engaged in the UK media scene, as a prolific music journalist creating both print and video content for In Stereo magazine (London and Bristol).

At Film Hub South West I facilitated the planning and delivery of film PR and communications campaigns across the UK. I recruited regional freelancers and cinemas, created press and marketing packs for selected films and sourced regional press contacts and film blogs. I worked with film distributors to coordinate cohesive campaigns for nationwide release of each film, delivering on the BFI aims of attracting young and diverse audiences and advocating independent British cinema.

I'm a strong team player and collaborator. At In Stereo magazine I worked with artists, press agencies, a film company and studio to coordinate a monthly series of live music sessions and interviews. I built social media networks to attract a world wide audience of up to 14,000 viewers on YouTube. At renowned Bristol gig venue, Mr. Wolfs, I developed loyal relationships with bands, booking agents, promoters, labels and blogs to create a varied programme of sold out events.

I'm an excellent communicator and relationship builder. I bring my motivated and proactive personality to every job, enthusiastically delivering engaging stories to the press in print and on-air. At female-championing record label, Saffron Records, I wrote our mission statement and built a strong network of support with local media outlets, high profile magazines and national radio. This included radio coverage from Jamz Supernova on BBC 1Xtra. I also represented the label at festivals such as Shambala and Bristol community radio shows, BCfm and Ujima, raising the profile of the label and its artists. As host and presenter of In Stereo Sessions, I've promoted the media platform as a guest on radio show, BBC Introducing in the West.

I'm a strong writer, with an excellent understanding of digital media. I write for Bristol music magazines, Bristol In Stereo and Nitelife and am well adept at maintaining and developing an organisation's online presence. For example, at Film Hub South West I increased Twitter followers by 400 in six months. At Colston Hall, I worked in a fast-paced environment to announce shows in line with strict schedules. I wrote promotional copy, built event pages on websites and announced events on all main social media platforms. I edited digital images, audio and videos, and created and delivered the e-newsletter to 140,000 subscribers weekly.

The New York Times is truly informative. With bold and rigorous reporting, from every angle. Its independence sets it apart from other news outlets, allowing it to deliver on the journalistic promise of impartiality and freedom of speech. It would be a privilege to amplify and share its stories. I hope you find my tenacious personality and varied communications experience well suited to the role.

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Kind Regards,

Megan India McGurk