Hello,
I am writing to express interest in the job opening for a Communications Specialist. I believe my strong background in marketing and public relations in food banking, as well as journalism, can greatly assist with written and verbal communications, marketing material creation and project management.
Currently, I am a Communications and Public Relations Specialist with Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. In this role, I oversee media relations on behalf of our organization and 11-county network, pitching and coordinating stories, distributing press releases and responding to media inquiries. My role also involves creating collateral for the organization through graphic design software, writing articles for our website and blog, video editing, managing our social media accounts and ensuring internal and external communications remain consistent. I came into this position after four years of working as a news anchor and reporter, which taught me the power of storytelling.
As the COVID-19 pandemic worsened, I was thrust into crisis communications at the Food Bank in a way I have never experienced before. Seemingly overnight, I was coordinating interviews with national and international media, including CNN, MSNBC, BBC, Fox News and The Guardian. My department's dedication to sharing information about how people could receive food assistance led to invaluable media partnerships, unprecedented donations to the Food Bank and worldwide attention on our operations in southwestern Pennsylvania. This experience showed me the importance of emergency communications and how best to share your organization's messaging.
Before working at the Food Bank, I was a morning reporter and weekend morning anchor at KWCH 12 News in Wichita, KS. Coming from this background, I can offer insight into how to create strong relationships with media partners, how to pitch story ideas that will catch someone's eye and why understanding deadlines is crucial. A member of the media has extremely unique experiences that can be easily translated outside of the newsroom with strong public speaking, media relations and strategic communication planning. I also worked as a reporter and anchor in Clarksburg, West Virginia and completed several news internships while studying at the University of Central Florida.
I will be relocating to Florida within the next several months and am excited to be moving back to the Sunshine State. My current position has expanded my communications knowledge into a love for graphic design, marketing and public relations. I am passionate about food banking, feeding our neighbors in need and bringing attention to food insecurity. To continue this work would be a true honor.
More detail on my writing samples, video editing, marketing samples and experience can be found in my portfolio here: https://www.melissamurraycomm.com/
I would be grateful to be considered for the position of Communications Specialist. I will follow up within the next week or two to discuss future action regarding this position.
Sincerely,
Emma Smith
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