Life as a Media Manager for a Combined Authority
Media Specialist Chloe Payne has worked in three Combined Authorities (CAs), planning, and delivering communication activities to raise the profile of their work within the communities they serve and within that, the role of the Mayor. Here, Chloe discusses her recent work with Westco for one of those Combined Authorities…
When did you work with the Combined Authority?
I worked with the CA from late November 2023 to the end of March 2024, with a short extension to support activities related to the election.
What was the brief?
I was brought in to strengthen the media narrative around the CA’s ambitions, improve media planning processes, develop relationships with journalists, package and pitch stories, and create content, including for social media channels.
How did you approach your work?
The first task with any new assignment is always to build relationships internally, including of course with the Mayor. I used these connections to gain a thorough understanding of policy priorities and worked with the communications team to develop a forward activity grid.
A big part of my role was to strengthen relationships with journalists by really getting to know the type of content they were looking for. I then helped package this content, often finding the ‘human angle’ in case studies to tell compelling stories, which is so important, while also ensuring we had the right backdrop for TV interviews.
In one instance, this involved visiting an offshore wind farm, which took a lot of planning! My job was also to ensure the Mayor was well-briefed and interview-ready.
How did you get on?
Over the 5 months, I helped generate 31 pieces of coverage, 12 of which were led by the Combined Authority. This included a mix of TV, radio, and regional news stories. Additionally, I responded to reactive inquiries, provided advice in weekly meetings, organised Mayoral visits, created videos, and drafted content for social media.
What was the most interesting or difficult part of the job?
Combined Authorities are very busy places to work, and the most challenging part of the job was ensuring that all the ducks were in a row. What I mean by that is really getting under the skin of what the CA was doing – aligning policy development milestones and decision-making processes to a forward grid of media activity.
Chloe Payne
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Media Specialist Chloe Payne has worked in three Combined Authorities (CAs), planning, and delivering communication activities to raise the profile of their work within the communities they serve and within that, the role of the Mayor.
