Media and Public Relations Officer

Job description

Role purpose:

To be a Disability Gamechanger

• To deliver media and public relations campaigns as part of the Communications team
• To support the delivery of Scope’s Everyday Equality strategy.
• To raise the profile of Scope, promote and protect our reputation in the media. 
• To be an initial point of contact for journalist enquiries.

Main responsibilities and accountabilities: 

• To contribute to the development of PR plans and tactics for Scope’s proactive brand awareness, fundraising and communication campaigns. 
• To research, and write content (including digital content) in support of PR activity – e.g. press releases, briefings, letters, statements and blogs
• As part of a team, help to plan and organise briefings, photo calls, launches and other publicity events
• To develop Scope’s national media contacts in relation to our work around campaigns, awareness of disability and charity profile
• To provide media briefings and media guidance to spokespeople
• To respond to relevant issues in the media and requests from journalists, using the opportunity to build relationships and promote Scope’s campaigns.
• To monitor and report on media coverage of Scope and issues relevant to our work, to keep informed of developments within current affairs and the media in general and identify proactive opportunities for Scope.
• To play an active part in Scope’s Communications team, contributing ideas and suggestions. 
• To contribute to Strategy, Impact and Social Change Department meetings and away days.
• To proactively flag issues of concern to the Media and Social Media Manager in a timely fashion.

Grade specific competencies

• Demonstrates excellent written and verbal communication skills 
• Ability to be flexible, respond positively to change, and work effectively under pressure and deal with conflicting priorities
• Demonstrates effective interpersonal skills 
• Demonstrates a facilitative style, able to broker internal and external relationships to ensure effective business solutions and resolve conflict where necessary 
• Evidence of excellent IT skills particularly Microsoft 365 .

Key contacts

Internal contacts

All staff at Scope – this role serves the whole organisation.

Strategy, Impact and Social Change colleagues 

External contacts

Journalists and media organisations

Storytellers 

Celebrities, influencers and ambassadors

Disability organisations and other charities

Person specification 

Essential

• Experience of media relations and PR
• Good news sense and an understanding of the needs of national and local media.
• Experience of organising media interviews, launches or photo-calls
• Ability to develop relationships with colleagues, at all levels 
• Ability to develop relationships with external stakeholders, especially journalists
• Proactive approach to working and ability to direct own work
• Ability to think creatively, identify core issues and how they relate to the delivery of media and PR objectives. 
• Ability to work within a small team, contributing ideas and assisting colleagues
• Awareness of the external world and the news agenda and ability to use that knowledge to influence colleagues around effective media and PR interventions.

Desirable

• Demonstrable understanding of the social model of disability 
• Voluntary sector experience (in-house or working on a charity account)

Skills and competencies

Essential

• Excellent writing and copy-editing skills, with good attention to detail
• Excellent personal communication skills, in particular the ability to communicate verbally and persuade and influence others
• An understanding of national, regional and local media – print, broadcast and online 
• Proven organisational skills, with the ability to juggle conflicting and rapidly shifting priorities and to meet deadlines
• Committed to personal development – able to carry out insightful review and evaluation of own work and achievements and turn into improvements in the future 
• Able to handle sensitive information, a good sense of news judgement, and ability to see the media story within a combination of data, tables, policy reports and campaign objectives.  
• Determination to change the way that the media engages with and portrays disabled people and the issues which affect them
• Commitment to provide out-of-hours cover for media enquiries as part of a team rota and as required. 

Desirable

• Good knowledge of the voluntary sector, disability and equality issues