Freelance profile

Emma Deighan

An experienced writer, editor, PR consultant and copyeditor currently holding the freelance post of Editor in Chief at one of Northern Ireland’s best-selling glossy social publications, IN! Magazine. Prior to this, 13 years’ experience working for regional newspapers and their counterpart websites, magazines and B2B titles reporting on a lengthy list of subject matters from serious news stories to fashion features, celebrity interviews, beauty reports, consumer reviews and business news. Most recently these roles have evolved to incorporate extensive usage of digital online programmes and social networking sites.

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Contact details:

Town: Belfast
Region/nation: Northern Ireland
Country: United Kingdom

Skills:

See suggested rates:

Subeditor or editorRates: Sub-editing
Online journalismRates: Online/writing
ProofreaderRates: Sub-editing
Public RelationsRates: PR
ReporterRates: Reporter
Feature writerRates: Print media
from the Freelance Fees Guide.

Subjects:

  • Arts/entertainment
  • Celebrities
  • Fashion/beauty
  • Music
  • Travel/tourism
  • Women's issues
  • Children/educational materials
  • Consumer affairs
  • Food and drink
  • Film and theatre

Major clients:

  • IN! Magazine (as Freelance Editor in Chief)
  • News Letter (freelance journalist)
  • Michelle McTernan Events and Public Relations
  • Rumour Mill Public Relations
  • Sunday Life (Freelance Writer)

Profile last updated: 2015-09-04 12:11:11


Extra information:

Contact:

Emma O’Neill (Deighan)

e: emmadeighy@yahoo.co.uk

 

 

Profile

An experienced writer, editor, PR consultant and copyeditor currently holding the freelance post of Editor in Chief at one of Northern Ireland’s best-selling glossy social publications, IN! Magazine. Prior to this, 13 years’ experience working for regional newspapers and their counterpart websites, magazines and B2B titles reporting on a lengthy list of subject matters from serious news stories to fashion features, celebrity interviews, beauty reports, consumer reviews and business news. Most recently these roles have evolved to incorporate extensive usage of digital online programmes and social networking sites.

 

 

 

Key Achievements

 

Relaunching IN! Magazine incorporating new content and sections to add weight to the lifestyle element of the publication. This included news oriented sections, a parenting section, debate page to encourage reader interaction and a real life interview feature. Subsequently the title won its first ever CIPR Awards Magazine of the Year in June 2014.

Establishing a successful freelance career in Northern Ireland working for a range of clients filing fashion and lifestyle copy as well as news stories to some of the province’s biggest titles; IN! Magazine, Belfast Telegraph, Sunday Life, News Letter and Northern Woman.

Balancing a freelance journalism profile with PR and event management .

Spearheading the fashion element of one of Northern Ireland’s biggest Sunday newspapers for four years.

Winning a position at one of NI’s biggest publishing houses and balancing seven monthly deadlines across a weird and wonderful range of titles from business to bridal brands.

Accomplished a managerial role within a Leeds-based publishing house at the age of 21, supervising a team of nine.

Edited and compiled an entire quarterly bridal publication from concept to first issue for a private client.

 

 

Key Skills

Imaginative, creative, sharp and versatile editor and writer with the ability to cover anything from a terrorist attack to a celebrity interview through to the latest fashion ‘must-haves’ and business news.

Meticulous research and proofreading skills.

Creative thinker with the ability to spot great stories.

Strong editing and sub-editing skills acquired through senior roles at numerous publishing houses and a position at CNS Belfast (a former sub-editing house for the Belfast Telegraph).

Well-honed organisation and planning skills, developed by meeting multiple strict deadlines and balancing heavy

workloads.

A confident and professional communicator with a growing contacts book of celebrity and news contacts.

Proficient user of desktop publishing programmes, especially Indesign, Quark Xpress and Photoshop as well as

regular Microsoft Office programmes.

Short-hand skills (50 wpm), Typing speed of 75 wpm.

 

RSA Stages I & II, Parts I & II – all Distinctions

Career Summary

Editor in Chief - IN! MagazineSeptember 2012 - PRESENT (Freelance)

  • Create and follow through a monthly feature list composed of celebrity interviews, lifestyle features and event coverage as well as news stories and reader debates and follow through to print. 
  • Commission features to freelance writers and impose strict deadlines. 
  • Compile regular ‘pullout’ features including bridal, beauty and interior supplements
  • Create a monthly page plan in accordance with advertiser and editorial requirements
  • Check facts, grammar and editorial credibility of entire content of publication before print
  • Attend key events that are of interest to IN! Magazine readers
  • Organise and creatively direct cover shoots
  • Implement all editorial and basic design changes during production week
  • Interact with readers through social media on a regular basis to encourage interaction and maintain interest in the title.

 

PR Assistant - Numerous ClientsJune 2010 -PRESENT (Freelance)

Promote large scale events, campaigns and clients throughout the national media, online and through social

networking sites, liaising with clients and key press contacts.

Write captivating press releases, carry out press interviews.

Setting up and organising photo shoots to capture illustrative images that accompany PR campaigns.

Managing and organising events keeping to strict budgets.

Create documentation and carry out intense administrative duties to keep client projects organised. This includes writing invoices, producing contracts and balancing numerous projects simultaneously.

Styling fashion shows and securing garments from various retailers is a key part of this role.

 

Features Journalist & Editor - News Letter & Etc MagazineJune 2010 PRESENT

Create features for the lifestyle element of a daily newspaper with a strong focus on women’s features. This includes creating and managing page plans, sourcing ideas and following them through to print meeting strict daily deadlines, proofing pages, liaising with a sales team and working closely with a team of designers and sub-editors.

Celebrity interviews, fashion features and real life stories make up the bulk of the content of the daily newspaper while the role as Editor for the quarterly Etc Magazine centres on fashion-related events, seasonal style, beauty, local celebrities, cultural reviews and news features.

  • Writing sharp, attention-grabbing copy and sourcing high quality images to enhance features is imperative to this position as too are strong editing and sub-editing skills.

 

Sub-editor - CNS (Complete News Solutions) Sep 2010 - Feb ‘13

Sub-edit the Belfast Telegraph and its counterpart supplements in a busy subbing office on a freelance basis. Cut

and rewrite copy to fit designated positions in paper. Cross reference inaccuracies. Create eye-catching, effective headlines, intros and captions and ensure grammar and spelling is impeccable and house style adhered to at all times.

Write editorial pieces for Belfast Telegraph and Sunday Life supplements and source relevant images. This included meeting several deadlines weekly and covering fashion, beauty, bridal, travel and business editorials.

  • Supply Belfast Telegraph Online with local, quirky stories daily to increase online readership update the Belfast Telegraph using iPad software.

 

Freelance Journalist - Sunday Life/Belfast Telegraph, BelfastJan ’04 - 2012

Pitch and supply Sunday Life with a vast array of editorial especially women’s features, bar, restaurant and

destination reviews alongside hard-hitting news stories. This has included reporting on everything from

swingers’ parties to interviewing a terminally ill bride, celebrities and predicting seasonal fashion trends.

  • For four years I spearheaded the fashion element of the newspaper covering seasonal trends, interviewing designers, retailers and event managers to cover everything stylish happening in Northern Ireland. I also assisted the features editor in compiling a quarterly fashion supplement. 

 

Editor & EDITORIAL ASSISTANT - Penton Publications, BelfastApril’08 – July’10

Edit and compile several magazines; from a lifestyle travel monthly to a bridal title and business publications.

Create page plans and feature lists and follow through to print; carrying out appropriate research, interviews and sourcing relevant images.

Re-launch and assist with an innovative re-design of a 13 year old tourism publication.

Organise multiple annual events including industry award galas, consumer award nights and wedding shows.

  • Manage freelance journalists and in house staff contributing to any titles I edited; monitoring workload, progress and ensuring deadlines were met.

Fashion & Lifestyle Editor - NI Travel News, BelfastJune’02 – April ‘08

Edit the lifestyle section of a glossy travel magazine; creating vibrant copy on fashion, beauty and food while sourcing relevant images.

Report on travel destinations, travel news and events for a monthly NI travel newspaper.

Design and sub-edit the entire Northern Ireland Travel News newspaper every month using Quark Xpress

Update publication’s website regularly to boost SEO.

Organise two high profile industry events and post event public relations.

  • Manage contributors’ copy.

Freelance Sub-editor - Daily View, BelfastApril’05 – June’05

  • Sub-edit pages for a daily, Belfast newspaper. This involved extensive use of the Quark Xpress programme and a sound knowledge of current affairs, politics, TV programmes and celebrities. The ability to reproduce tight copy at speed was crucial.

Newsroom Assistant - DTR/Cool FM Radio, NewtownardsNov’03 – June’05

Contribute to hourly news bulletins with the aid of a digital editing (DALET) system.

  • Perform telephone interviews to enhance and update existing news stories running throughout the day.

Staff Writer/Head of Research Department - Jasper Media Co, Leeds, JUNE’00 – sep’01

Create and follow through feature lists for various trade magazines.

Produce research briefs and distribute among a team of nine researchers and journalists.

Manage and monitor research briefs in progress

  • Source all appropriate images for all news and features

 

 

Education

BA Hons Spanish & media - University of Leeds, Sep’97 – June’00

A-levels x 3 - St Dominic’s Grammar School for Girls, Belfast , 1990-1997

GCSE x 9 - St Dominic’s Grammar School for Girls, Belfast , 1990-1997

 

Professional courses & training

WEBSITE CREATION, Belfast Metropolitan College, 2011

ECDL (European Computer Driving Licence), Belfast Metropolitan College, 2011

QUARK XPRESS COURSE at Mullan Training Belfast, Jan 2007

FASHION AND BEAUTY JOURNALISM COURSE (London College of Fashion), 2005

QUARK XPRESS TRAINING (Newsletter), 2005

PHOTOSHOP TRAINING (NI Travel News), 2003

  • FOUNDATION COURSE IN NEWSPAPER JOURNALISM (NCTJ/ Jasper Media Company), 2000
  • TEELINE GOLD SHORTHAND training. (50 wpm), 2000

 

Personal Details

Full clean driver’s licence and own transport.

 

Interests

 

Reading and monitoring all kinds of press; from consumer to national and international broadsheets means I am always taking my work home. On a personal level, I am passionate about discovering different cultures and meeting new people; undertaking many extracurricular classes to acquire new skills and form new relations. This includes attending many local arts, fashion and music events on a work basis or for personal interest. I love fashion and beauty and I’m always on the outlook for a fresh trend. I’m forever balancing work with exercise to lead as active a life as possible, participating in MMA training and boxing training classes as well as attending the gym when work and classes collide! I’m actively involved and enthralled by the social networking world and believe it plays a huge role in media as a means to extract ideas, keep up to date with events, trends and news as well as securing influential contacts.

Photographs

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Emma Deighan © Emma Deighan Emma Deighan
Freelance writer specialising in lifestyle, interviews, fashion and current affairs.
IN! Magazine © Emma Deighan IN! Magazine
Editor-In-Chief, IN! Magazine, Northern Ireland's award winning glossy