CAMP 2018: Personal Branding for Journalists Tip Sheet
By Mariana Cid De Leon Ovalle
Presenters/Panelists
Yumi Wilson, JAWS President and journalism professor at San Francisco State University (@Yumiwilson)
Imaeyen Ibanga, Senior Content Producer at AJ+ (@iiwrites)
Andrea Crowley-Hughes, JAWS Digital Communications Manager (@and_reach)
The Lead
Personal branding for journalists needs to authentically reflect your personality and be dimensional. Your brand needs to establish your voice and how it sets you apart.
The Top Five
Personal brand is what people say about you when you leave the room.- Jeff Bezos
A personal brand statement answers three things; your aspirations (what you are best at), your unique promise of value (what sets you apart), your audience (who you serve).
On social media, you have be to authentic. To successfully brand yourself online, your account should not be a platform for blatant self-promotion or fabricated personas. It cannot be watered down or exhausting.
Your personal brand statement should not contain your job title, your current newsroom, your years of experience, your cover letter, nor should it be the summary of your resume.
Twitter is an important platform to be on as a journalist and the bio is where your branding starts. LinkedIn is also highly important.
The Surprise
Branding goes beyond social media. When you interact with others in any way you are branding yourself, you have to be able to have an “elevator pitch” of sorts about you.
The Resources:
How Nonprofit Leaders Create An Authentic Personal Brand on Instagram - Beth Kantor
Book: "Tell Me About Yourself" - Holley M. Murchison