As contrasting as fire and ice, as dog and cat, many assume that the work of PR and editorial staff are just as contradictory. But the combination of both can very well work together and I am a good example of that. By day I work in PR, advising clients and providing editorial offices with interviews, statements and topic ideas. At the same time, I work as a freelance editor, either in the evenings or on weekends. I prove that the two are not conflicting. On the contrary, because I believe that my work in both worlds benefits greatly from this dual perspective.
But let’s start from the very beginning: How did it happen that I ended up in such a double role? To say that this was my intention would clearly be a lie. But as so often in life, things happen to you somehow, whether it’s by chance or maybe by fate is left open. In fact, writing is my biggest hobby since I can remember.
That I was able to work as an editor while studying German and English philology confirmed me in this passion. Back then I wrote for student magazines and the weekend paper of my hometown. I reported on everything from knitting competitions and political decisions to regional events, and I was even allowed to write cover stories now and then – for example about the zero waste trend or the clinical syndrome of burnout.
I enjoyed working as a freelance editor incredibly. So it’s only understandable that I continued to pursue this side-job even during my PR career. Actually, it was rather unplanned that I ended up here full-time, but today I’m pretty sure that it was supposed to happen the same way. Not only did my job in my new hometown of Munich make me feel at home incredibly quickly, but it also opened my eyes to a completely new industry, the digital business. For someone like me, who until then had just managed to connect to a Wi-Fi network without any major problems, this presented a new challenge and a completely new and exciting field.
Today it is exactly this combination of knowledge from both worlds, editorial and PR, that inspires me so much. Due to my job as a PR consultant, I am always up to date with digital innovations and experience different perspectives in all their depth. This is something I could never achieve on my own during my employment as an editor. At the same time, I am always offered new topics and get to know exciting companies and start-ups that want to make the world a little bit better with their ideas. And, because of my double role, I can always look at a new topic from two perspectives. This makes it a little easier for me to assess whether or not the editors can make sense of it.
I understand what journalists need in order to adapt a client’s topic suggestion in the best possible way for their readers. And I really appreciate it when working with a PR agency is straightforward, supportive and friendly. In the same way, I try to provide journalists with this kind of highly prepared work. So far, I have had a very good experience with this approach and I think it could also help others to understand the opposite side better. Ultimately, this ability to better reflect one’s own concerns makes it much easier to work together.