Views across our platforms for the last month

Here, you’ll find a Team (see below) combining decades of industry experience and fresh post-grad talent, ready to offer advice, ideas and guidance, in person and online.

mediaHUB runs regular news days with News, Sports and Fashion student-journalists. See our mediaHUB Calendar for details.

There’s also a searchable version of the Media School writing Style Guide, giving you instant access to the guidance to help you keep your copy sharp and consistent.

If it’s day-to-day story ideas and inspiration you’re after, there’s also a Daily News-List Page, with top stories of the day, from major local and national news sources (and a few suggestions to get you started).

So dive in, look around and get in touch – we’re here to help you!

 

How To Contact Us

The HUB space is on the top floor of the David Puttnam Media Centre.

It’s open to all from 9-5 Mon-Fri during semester (subject to Covid-19 regulations).

If you’d prefer not to visit in person, just email or phone us from 9-5 – or use our Whatsapp and Skype links to reach us live online from 3-5pm Mon-Fri (see Our Team, below, for details).

  1. Paul Taylor

    mediaHUB manager

    Paul is an award-winning journalist with over 35 years’ experience, mostly in regional press and radio, and has been an academic tutor at UoS for 10 years.

    His experience and skills cover a range of journalism, from news to features, investigative and commercial, as well as news service management, design and production, and a smattering of PR.

    Paul is also a working magazine designer (producing a national sports title), with over 15 years’ experience in a specialism he also teaches.

    Email: paul.taylor@sunderland.ac.uk

    Tel: 0191 515 3175

    Click here to call Paul on Whatsapp between 3pm & 5pm Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri

  2. Sam (Samantha) Boal

    mediaHUB intern

    Sam graduated from UoS last year with a degree in Fashion Journalism. In her final year she was editor of the Fashion North website, and has also spent three years reporting for SR News and Northern Lights, giving her a range of skills and experience to put at your disposal, from writing to editing and social media management.

    Like her colleagues, Sam is focused on how we can cover stories more creatively and across multiple media.

    Email: samantha.boal@sunderland.ac.uk

    Tel: 0191 515 3876

    Click here to call Sam on Whatsapp between 3pm & 5pm Mon-Fri

  3. Connor Bromley

    mediaHUB intern

    As a practising journalist since completing his Masters in Sports Journalism with UoS in 2018, Connor has worked with many major news outlets, most recently Sunderland AFC’s media department and is an experienced video-maker.

    He has produced podcasts which have regularly hit the iTunes Top 10, and worked with some of the biggest names in the football industry.

    Like Sam, he’s bursting with creative ideas!

    Email: connor.bromley@sunderland.ac.uk

    Tel: 0191 515 3876

    Click here to call Connor on Whatsapp between 3pm & 5pm Mon-Fri

  4. Scott McGerty

    mediaHUB / Spark FM compliance manager

    An award-winning radio expert, Scott’s daily focus is on the running of Spark FM, UoS’s award-winning student-led radio station.

    He is also a presenter for Amazing Radio, and experienced in helping students and volunteers to produce creative and fun shows.

    His main role is as mediaHUB’s broadcast regulations expert, ensuring students and volunteers meet the standards of the regulator, Ofcom.

    Email: scott.mcgerty@sunderland.ac.uk

    Tel: 0191 515 2359

  5. Steve Nickells

    mediaHUB technical & software

    Steve is the mediaHUB’s IT wizard – with a skill-set way wider than fixing computer problems.

    His background covers journalism, production journalism, photography and video, digital effects, web design, social media, podcasts, content delivery and live streaming to the web.

    He’s also consulted on outside broadcast set-ups and has extensive experience with the university’s TV and radio studios.

    Steve also offers in-depth support on a wide range of digital production software, especially Adobe Creative Cloud, as well as hands-on instruction of much of the hardware and cameras in the Media Centre.

    Email: steven.nickells@sunderland.ac.uk

    Tel: 0191 515 3232

  6. Sarah Millington

    mediaHUB newsroom supervisor

    Sarah is a freelance journalist of 20 years’ experience, specialising in feature writing.

    Her background is in local newspapers and she was formerly women’s editor of The Northern Echo. Her main work is for lifestyle magazines in the Living group, although she has written for national titles including The Telegraph.

    Sarah has been involved with Sunderland University for more than five years.

    Email: sarah.millington@sunderland.ac.uk

    Tel: 07958 645503

  7. Ian Murtagh

    mediaHUB newsroom supervisor

    Ian is one of the most experienced sports journalists in the North East, having worked for the Northern Echo, The Evening Chronicle and The Journal (as chief football correspondent), before moving onto the nationals 21 years ago.

    Over the past two decades, he has written for the Daily Star, the Daily Express and the Daily Mirror as well as their sister Sunday titles, covering some of the biggest events in sport.

    In recent years, he has covered the England football team, including the momentous World Cup campaign for Gareth Southgate’s side in Russia.

    Ian has also covered 16 visits to Wembley by the North’s top football teams – but, sadly, his record to date is no wins, one draw and 15 defeats! The only time he has reported on silverware was when Middlesbrough won the League Cup in Cardiff.

    Email: ian.murtagh@sunderland.ac.uk

    Tel: 07831 314501

  8. Dave Donaldson

    mediaHUB newsroom supervisor

    Dave has an impressively wide portfolio of sports and broadcast journalism experience; covering football for 14 years for Sky Sports, BBC Scotland, BBC 5 Live, BBC Final Score, Setanta Sports and RTE, and spending five years reporting on matches in the Premier League, as well as working for BBC World Service during the Olympics in London and BBC Scotland for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

    He’s also freelanced for Scottish Television, covering news and sport.

    Dave has also lectured on Broadcast Journalism at the University of Sunderland, Napier University, Robert Gordons University, Stirling University and Darlington College over the last 10 years, and worked as an invigilator for the NCTJ and as a Student Mentor.

    Email: daviedonaldson@aol.com

    Tel: 07751 697528

  9. Steve Brown

    mediaHUB newsroom supervisor

    Steve is an NCTJ-qualified sports journalist with 23 years of experience, working as a news reporter for the Berwickshire News, and a sports writer for the Newcastle Chronicle, Journal and Sunday Sun.

    Steve now works as a sports sub-editor for the Sunderland Echo, Shields Gazette and Hartlepool Mail.

    He has also undertaken the odd moonlight for The Sun, Sunday Mirror and Daily Mail.

    Email: stevebrown900@googlemail.com

    Tel: 07881 517857

So How Can We Help?

We can help you answer the questions all journalists and story-tellers face when preparing to cover a story, such as…

  • What IS the story?
  • What’s MY angle?
  • How do I prepare-for & handle interviews?
  • What photos / video / audio should I plan?
  • Ethical issues: what are they and how do I deal with them?

We can help you produce your work, helping you find the answers to questions such as…

  • How do I write my intro/structure my piece?
  • Quotes: how can I handle them?
  • How do I present my video/audio?
  • What’s the best way to use my pictures?
  • How do I design a layout?

We can help you publish your work on our websites, and promote it more widely…

  • Which platform to publish on?
  • How can I reach my best audience?
  • What can I do on social media?

How do I approach outside publishers?