You’ll serve McCarthy’s Kansas City-based client, part of a national healthcare company.
Company McCarthy Messaging
Job Title Media Relations Specialist
Highlights
The Media Relations Specialist will primarily serve McCarthy’s Kansas City-based client, part of a national healthcare company. This position is responsible for proactive pitching, writing, spokesperson prepping, and recommending local partnerships/sponsorships that reach target audiences and attract additional media coverage. Must thrive on pursuing quick-turn opportunities and staying plugged-in to the events, trends and news cycles in your hometown of KC.
Responsibilities
• Continually brainstorming ways to achieve brand recognition and media coverage for our client in Kansas City.
• Developing creative story angles, sometimes using corporate pitch materials but mainly using your own instincts about how the client might contribute to healthcare consumer stories and trends in Kansas City.
• Maintaining positive working relationships with Kansas City reporters and editors.
• Pitching local print and broadcast media, thoughtfully and creatively, and securing a steady stream of coverage for our client.
• Prepping local spokespersons and accompanying them to interviews.
• Writing pitch materials and paid media (advertorial) content of all kinds, such as brief bylined articles, spokesperson talking points, listicles, media advisories and radio/TV scripts.
• Coordinating internal and client approval processes and making necessary edits.
• Contributing to and managing various reports on media coverage, weekly and monthly.
• Identifying local partnerships/sponsorships that would help our client reach its target audience and attract additional media coverage.
• Executing this year’s existing PR plan, but contributing heavily to future years’.
• Following agency procedures for file naming, file storage, and time tracking. Also, participating in weekly internal and client meetings. Maintaining media lists and clip archives for the accounts you serve.
• Contributing your PR, writing and pitching skills to other agency accounts nationwide, as time permits.
Qualifications
• Minimum five years’ experience in agency or corporate media relations.
• Creative in packaging and selling story pitches.
• Proven success in placing content in news media, with portfolio or samples to share.
• Thorough knowledge of new and traditional media, with strong connections to journalists, news directors, producers, and influencers a plus.
• High-energy, brain-is-always-ticking on opportunities.
• Able to toggle between strategic and tactical thinking.
• Excellent journalistic-style writer, as exhibited by samples or portfolio.
• Demonstrated ability to succeed in a fast-paced environment.
• Proven organizational skills.
• Strong local networker; in tune with the local community.
• Thrives on being part of a team.
• Able to navigate large corporations without frustration.
• Exhibits our five values: conscientious, collaborative, emotionally intelligent, problem-solving, flexible. • Proficiency in Microsoft applications.
Salary Information Negotiable
How to apply Please send a resume and cover letter to admin@mccarthymessaging.com; please list "KC media relations” in the subject line
Contact Gayle Rhinehart
Contact email admin@mccarthymessaging.com
Other Information
Perfect position for someone who loves fast-paced, opportunistic media relations. If your idea of a good time is developing creative, out-of-the-box story pitches, you might do well in this role. McCarthy Messaging is a strategic communications firm with a niche in healthcare messaging. Based (virtually) in Denver, we create competitive advantage for high-performing healthcare organizations by helping them nail their message. Our other core competencies are thought leadership, content generation, and media relations. The Media Relations Specialist will primarily serve our Kansas City-based client, part of a national healthcare company. This position is responsible for proactive pitching, writing, spokesperson prepping, and recommending local partnerships/sponsorships that reach target audiences and attract additional media coverage. Must thrive on pursuing quick-turn opportunities and staying plugged-in to the events, trends and news cycles in your hometown of KC.