Terri-Ann Williams: BBC Journalist

Terri-Ann Williams shares how her journalism career has led to her work as a BBC Breakfast Journalist.  She also shares how covering important health concerns led to change in the UK for many families in two key areas.  

Follow Terri-Ann’s life and work here:

LinkedIN: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/terri-ann-williams-ba237648 

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/BBCBreakfast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tawilliams2 

BBC Breakfast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006v5tb 

BBC Breakfast Press Release: https://www.responsesource.com/bulletin/news/terri-ann-williams-joins-bbc-breakfast-from-the-sun/ 

The Sun: https://www.thesun.co.uk/author/terri-ann-williams/ 

Ellesmere Port:  https://www.visitcheshire.com/explore/ellesmere-port-p33671

City University in London: https://www.city.ac.uk/ 

Citywire: https://citywire.com/

Mail Online UK:  https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ushome/index.html 

Menopause Matters: https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/ 

Manchester: https://www.visitmanchester.com/  

Government Press Release: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/millions-of-children-get-access-to-life-saving-defibrillators 

Oliver King: Charity Celebrates Defibrillator in Every School:  https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-merseyside-66311104 

BBC Breakfast: https://twitter.com/BBCBreakfast/status/1683832368472428544 

Oliver King Foundation: https://theoliverkingfoundation.co.uk/ 
 

Thank you for listening!  Please take a moment to rate, review and subscribe to the Media in Minutes podcast here or anywhere you get your podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/media-in-minutes/id1555710662  

Transcript

Angela Tuell: 0:05

Welcome to Media in Minutes. This is your host Angela Tuell. This podcast features in-depth interviews with those reports on the world around us. They share everything from their favorite stories to what happened behind the lens and give us a glimpse into their world. From our studio here at Communications Redefined, this is Media in Minutes. Today we are talking with Terri-Ann Williams, a journalist with the BBC's morning show, BBC Breakfast, in the UK. Terri-Ann began her journalism career in print and worked her way up to covering health for the UK's largest newspaper, The Sun, she has worked on stories that brought awareness to change laws and make an impact on the country. And now works for the UK's number one morning show with 5 million viewers. Hi, Terri-Ann.

Terri-Ann Williams: 0:54

Hello, Angela. How are you?

Angela Tuell: 0:56

I'm doing well. I'm looking forward to talking with you today. I must say I'm excited to talk with a journalist working for the BBC, many of us, you know in the states look to the BBC for fair coverage and to inform us of what's going on in the world.

Terri-Ann Williams: 1:11

Oh, that's, that's so kind. Thank you so much for having me. You've already had some amazing guests on so I feel very privileged that you've asked me to come on today.

Angela Tuell: 1:19

Thank you. I have to start with you know, were you born and raised in the UK?

Terri-Ann Williams: 1:24

Yeah, so I was born in a really small town. It's called Ellesmere Port. And, you know, for international listeners, I suppose the best way to describe it, it didn't the northwest of the UK. So it's a good sort of five hour drive from London. But you know, always really wanted to move to a city. And if anyone who's grown up in a small town will know you sort of want to get out of that. Yeah, you know, always wanted to be a journalist. So that was, you know, my focus, I suppose.

Angela Tuell: 1:56

Yeah. So tell us a little bit about your journey and how you made your way, you know, into journalism.

Terri-Ann Williams: 2:01

Yeah, sure. Um, so I mean, when I was about, my mom will always say this, I was about five years old, and there was a broadcaster on TV, and they were reporting, I think, probably outside something really, you know, like a town hall or something. And I said, Oh, you know, what's her job? And my mom said, Oh, well, she's, she's a journalist, she's a reporter. And I having no context whatsoever, just said, Oh, I'd like to do that when I'm older. And, you know, that's, that's where it started. So through school, I, you know, focused all of my, you know, exams and things around that studying English, studying history, and then went off to university did journalism there. Focused on newspaper journalism, and then about a year where I did a lot of work experience, and then went and did a master's degree at City University in London. And then I'd say it took a while actually, to get my first sort of foot in the door, as it was, after that. I say about six to nine months later, I got my first job in journalism and that was at a B2B publication called Citywire, and they focused on sort of financial institutions, that sort of thing. So that was really sort of where I got my foot in the door, I guess.

Angela Tuell: 3:13

So from there, getting your foot in the door? Where did you go from there? Yeah, so

Terri-Ann Williams: 3:18

I was at Citywire for about, I think it was two and a half, three years. And there, you know, I really learned sort of how a monthly magazine work. So there was a monthly magazine, and there was also a daily website, where we do you know, post news, and we do videos, and that was just a really sort of great place to learn a lot of things. You know, I learned how to sit in front of a camera and be at ease with people who, you know, in a lot of senses, I was sort of 22/23 when I started there, and who I were interviewing had been doing their job longer than I've been alive, you know. So it was building that confidence, you know, to just, you know, as a woman in this industry anyway, you sort of, there's always an apprehension there that, you know, people don't take you as seriously as perhaps as they might take the men in the industry. And, you know, it was a great place to just build that confidence. You know, so I could go on and interview people who, you know, you wouldn't usually strike up a conversation with on the street, which was nice. And so, you know, sort of get to get to your point after Citywire, I mean, I really loved it there. It was such a, it's such a nice company, you say, I really wish I did, because I loved working there. And I love the team. But I you know, it's hard to do a job when you know, your heart's not in it. So from there, I went to work on the news desk at the Mail Online, which your audience will know as well, because I think, you know, there's a US version, an Australian version. So I worked there and it was Yeah, it was it was tough. That was Daily News. You know, you'd work night shifts too so you'd be covering things, you know, overnight as well. And I was there for just under two years, I think. And then I was sort of getting itchy feet as you do. And a lot of people I worked with were leaving. So I started to look elsewhere. And you know, with lots of jobs, you sort of you sort of think, well, I like this, but I'd really like to hone in on something. And I sort of sat myself down and said, Well, what is it that I'm actually interested in? When I pick up a magazine or a newspaper? What are the sections that I go to first, and it was hard. So you know, luckily, this job on the helpdesk at The Sun came up, and I saw it and, you know, applied for it. And yeah, so I was there for just under three years, before moving to the BBC earlier this year.

Angela Tuell: 5:56

Wow. And that's quite I mean, The Sun is the largest newspaper in the UK, right?

Terri-Ann Williams: 6:01

Yeah, it's very popular. And, you know, the helpdesk at the time. I was, you know, I love speaking to people, you know, if you're a journalist that you've got to, and you know, the helpdesk at The Sun is just great at campaigns. And it's also, you know, just great at telling those really hard hitting stories, but as timing would permit, I joined the helpdesk because I had to give a certain notice period at Mail. So I joined the helpdesk bank right at the beginning of the COVID pandemic. A lot of our our job on that desk became about reporting on COVID. And so, you know, it was very different to the what the job, you know, what I thought it was going to be, but it was, you know, still just, it's, you know, one of the biggest stories I'll ever cover, I think.

Angela Tuell: 6:46

Yes, yes. And also there, you were involved in some, you know, other impactful campaigns like a Menopause Matters, one, which you said led to changes in medication laws for women in the UK.

Terri-Ann Williams: 6:58

The Menopause Matters campaign was sort of a collaboration between the help desk and the fabulous desk at The Sun, which was, you know, spearheaded by the brilliant Lizzy Perry, who's the head of health at The Sun now, still. And the campaign, basically, it was to say to people, listen, we're sick of menopause not being treated, and well, you know, not being treated, but not being taken seriously, not being taken seriously by our health service, not being taken seriously by employers, and the campaign sort of had three main aims. And, you know, one was to get free HRT, which is hormone replacement therapy, for women to get that on the NHS. And another aim of the campaign was for employers to really recognize how hard the menopause can be. Now, I myself haven't gone through the menopause yet, you know, I will. But you know, a lot of the symptoms of the menopause are really debilitating, you know. You have in hot flushes, you can't sleep, and you're still expected to go to work and perform. And, you know, it was making sure that employers understood what sort of a challenge women were, you know, having to undertake. And also, you know, just to the third sort of thing with the campaign was to break down the taboo of it. A lot of people didn't see it feel they were able to talk about menopause because it was a women's issue, you know. We all know that classic thing, where if you want to get out of something, you tell a man, you're on your period, so you need to go to the toilet. It's exactly the same with the menopause, you know, people don't want to talk about it, because they don't know a lot about it, it makes them feel uncomfortable. And it's just, you know, it shouldn't be uncomfortable. It's something women everywhere go through. You know, our mums have been through it, our grandmothers have been through it, we'll go through it, we'll have friends and siblings that go through it. And it was just really making sure that people felt at ease that they could go to people and talk, you know, talk to people about it. And, you know, what we've managed to achieve with that campaign was the government agreed that they'd cut the cost of yearly HRT. So that may, you know, meant that women who were on prescription for HRT could then sort of get that for at, you know, 18 pounds 50 I think it was for the whole year. And it may meant they were like saving about 200 pounds a year, which was sort of a real victory, because, you know, that's a lot of, you know, money for people to be paying for something they have no control

Angela Tuell: 9:25

Right. So do you feel really proud of the work over. you do as a journalist?

Terri-Ann Williams: 9:29

Yeah. I mean, you know, I didn't head up the campaign, but that, you know, I was on the team and sure, all the work that goes into it, everyone sort of, you know, really pulled it out of the bag. And it was just Yeah, it was just, you know, it's makes you proud to work somewhere when things like that happen. And when you have a, you know, a big change in things.

Angela Tuell: 9:48

Yeah. So how and why did you shift to television? That's a little unusual, at least here in the states to to go from print to TV.

Terri-Ann Williams: 9:55

Yeah, for sure. So I always wanted to work in television. So my master's degree It was actually in television and current affairs. Okay, you know, it's just one of those things where, you know, you guys will have it over there too where you finish your studies, and you just need to get a job. You know, you, Yeah, it's a competitive industry. And it got to the point where I was just like, you know, I had been applying just for television jobs and sort of broadcast roles. And I wasn't really getting very far. And then, you know, this job came up at Citywire, which, you know, it was mainly print, but also there was the opportunity to do a bit of video, and I thought, well, that's quite a nice compromise. And, you know, from there, I obviously just did a lot of print and online journalism. And, and this job then came up at the BBC, and we were living in London, I think, you know, me and my boyfriend, we've been there for sort of eight and a half years. And, you know, as you guys, Will, everyone's experiencing, you know, the cost of living crisis. And, you know, it's affected as in the UK, in terms of, you know, prices of rent have soared. And in London, in particular, you know, they've gone through the roof. And we sort of thought, well, you know, we've, we, you know, we're never going to really probably be able to afford to purchase a property here. We were like, okay, like, let's, you know, where else is there a good sort of hub for journalism and Manchester, where we are now is where a lot of the BBC operations are at the minute, it's also where BBC Breakfast is. So this job came up, and we just thought, well, let's go for it, you know, our family a lot closer here, too, which obviously made a huge difference to our decision. And so when I applied for the job, I thought, you know, had all that in mind. But, you know, as many people who've applied for these sorts of jobs, you know, sort of went into the interview, quite confident thinking, I've got this and after the interview, I just thought, oh, no, I don't think I did that. But, yeah, you know, a couple of days later, they called me and offered me the job, which was really nice. And then so yeah, we made the move up to Manchester.

Angela Tuell: 12:03

Wow, it took you a little bit to get into TV. But then you landed the BBC, which is amazing. And the BBC Breakfast is known as the UK's most watched morning news program. I had read, you know, 5 million viewers. Could you share a little bit more about your role there and what a typical day looks like?

Terri-Ann Williams: 12:22

Yeah, of course. So a typical sort of day there. I mean, I am on the day desk, usually. So they're long shifts, but you know, they are worth it. And you do come away feeling like you've really achieved something, especially sort of the next day when you turn the program on. And, you know, the stories that you've worked on are on television. And so my I'm a journalist there, and so that, you know, me, journalist, producer, and you know, you do in the, if you're on a day, shift your work 10am till 10pm. And you'll sort of go in and have to, it's a long day, but there's a lot to do. So yeah, you'll get in, and we'll all have a big meeting in the morning. And then we'll all discuss sort of the things that happen in things that are already in the diary that, you know, sort of ready to go and they just need a little bit of tweaking. People can raise their ideas for items that, you know, they might think will work on the show. Perhaps someone's seen some data, or there's a government release out that, you know, it's quite interesting. And then we'll sort of after the meeting, we'll go off from there and, you know, divide the stories of decide who's working on what, and then it's a case of sort of getting all the research in for these stories, making sure we've got guests coming in that are appropriate. And that can be the mean, getting them to Manchester to come on to the show in person, you know, creating Zoom meetings, that sort of thing, you know, outside broadcasts. So yeah, I mean, a 12 hour, people might think, Oh, you've got 12 hours to do everything. But actually, sometimes, that's the sort of, you know, you're in the 10th hour of your shift, and you're thinking God, how am I going to get all this finished in time?

Angela Tuell: 14:01

Yes, how many days a week do you work?

Terri-Ann Williams: 14:04

So usually, it's three. Three days a week, and then you know, you're off for three days. So it's quite, it's quite nice, you get the rest that you need. But that's sort of what a day shifts like, and obviously, because we're a morning show, there's also a night shift that your work and that is usually about quarter past nine in the evening until half past nine in the morning. And that's very much more the production of the show. I always say it's a bit more of a techie

Angela Tuell: 14:32

Okay. work. So you know, you're making sure all the clips are edited the way that they're meant to be. You know, so when you're when a viewer is watching the television, you know, it's everything that comes with that. It's the cuts to you know, we've we've we've got our correspondents, somebody you know, somewhere, it's making sure that that setup, and that's correct, and that all the pictures that we need are in and it's writing scripts, it's writing cues, you know. So that's slightly different from the day shift, but, you know, that's a lot of fun as well. So and it's quite nice to mix those up, which is good, too. Yes. So do you focus on certain topics? Or beats? Or just very general? Anything?

Terri-Ann Williams: 15:11

Um, yeah, I mean, it's very general. But one thing that the team at Breakfast is really good at is if you've got a particular interest in something, or you know, you, there's a story in the morning that's mentioned in you know, you think I'd quite like to work on that, you know, we really play to people's strengths. And obviously, with me coming from the Help Desk, that is one of my strengths. So I do tend to work on a few stories, you know, that are focused on health, which is quite nice. But yeah, it's such a broad range. And that keeps that does keep it interesting, too. And it doesn't mean you're working on the same sort of thing all the time, which is quite nice.

Angela Tuell: 15:49

Yes, yes. You know, the BBC is also so well known for its international coverage, you know, not just staying local, but also covering the whole world for their viewers. How do you manage that?

Terri-Ann Williams: 16:03

Yeah, so obviously, we've got a huge team and Breakfast is a national television program. So we're based in sort of Salford, which is Greater Manchester, but then, you know, we've got BBC I've got offices in London, we've got offices all over the place. And I suppose over, you know, the last sort of week, year, I think, in the US has been, you know, extreme temperatures, there's also been an extreme temperatures in London. And, you know, we do liaise, quite a lot with the foreign desk to make sure that we've got correspondents in these places that we can go to on the morning show to tell us a story from where they are. And that might also then mean that we have a guest, you know, be a climate expert or weather expert, a health expert in the studio, who can talk to that, you know, on an expert level. So we'll have a correspondent, you know, will liaise with the foreign desk to make sure they're in the right place, you know, to make sure that they're safe to make sure that they're going to be okay, in the heat. You know, we'll liaise with the foreign desk to do that. But then, you know, our teams in the UK will then source guests to sort of just make that story the best it can be really.

Angela Tuell: 17:08

What were you most surprised to learn when becoming a television journalist and joining the BBC?

Terri-Ann Williams: 17:15

I think because I've been a journalist for quite a while now, there wasn't anything that really surprised me. I think, you know, one of the one of the main things, which was really lovely about the BBC, just how helpful everybody is actually. You'd think that on a show, you know, like Breakfast, everyone would be running around, you know, really busy really stressed. And, you know, as in any newsroom, sometimes that is the case. But more often than not, there's always someone there that is willing to help you, you know, no question is, too, you know, too stupid. You never feel silly for asking questions. And that's really nice for someone. And a lot of people who work in Breakfast, you know, have come from a print or online journalism background. And it's really nice, because, you know, people know, you've not got loads of experience in television, but you know, everyone there is more than willing to help you. And I think that was, what was sort of, you know, really nice and did surprise me about it really, because, again, like you do just think, well, everyone's got their own job to do, they've not got time to be helping me with my questions. But you know, they have got so much time for you, which is lovely.

Angela Tuell: 18:23

That is great. Yeah, a lot of times even TV newsrooms can even be competitive between each other. And so that's nice to hear, definitely. What do you think sets the BBC apart from other news organizations?

Terri-Ann Williams: 18:36

I think, you know, the BBC is trusted. It's been in, you know, it's on our televisions every day, as you said yourself, you know, in the US, it's recognized as a really trusted source of journalism, and I suppose how it's different to where, you know, places that I've worked before. And you know, this might be right, and this might be wrong, but I think the BBC is probably just a little bit more cautious. And that really lends to it being trusted. You know, there's a saying, in journalism that you've probably heard, and it's, you know, at the BBC is we'd rather be right and second to the news than first and wrong. And, you know, it's just, yeah, okay. It might mean that other broadcasters and other news organizations have the story before we do, but, you know, it also, you know, as a producer, as a journalist, it just gives you that sort of peace of mind that you're not brushing something out, because everybody else has, it's making sure it's verified. It's making sure you've got the correct information. You know, and that that's really important in an age of journalism, where, you know, there is so much clickbait there is so much mistrust with journalists and news organizations, you know, and making sure you've got the correct information and you're putting out the news, you know, with all the information that you you know, you've been able to source. It does give people a sense of comfort, I think.

Angela Tuell: 20:02

Oh, yes, absolutely. And that was going to be another one of my questions. You know, unfortunately, distrust in journalism is an issue in many countries. Do you see it as much there in the UK? As they do in the States?

Terri-Ann Williams: 20:14

Yeah, for sure. I mean, journalists got a pretty hard time with it. And there'll be people listening to this that think, Oh, well, yeah, of course, you get a hard time with it. But you know, people in loads of jobs have a hard time of it. There's criticism in so many roles. But yeah, you know, it is, I think there is a level of mistrust there. And it can be difficult, you know, it can be hard going, I suppose, out into a social situation and telling people, you're a journalist, because you just don't know what sort of reaction you're going to have. You know, it's great when someone goes, Oh, that's so interesting. You know, what is it? What sort of things do you work on? And, you know, it's everything from that really lovely response to people then saying, Oh, well, I better be careful what I say around you, then. You know, and that, you know, that a lot of the time they're joking, but you know, that's come from somewhere that's come from a, you know, a rooted disbelief in what journalists do. I think, when, you know, the majority of the time, I'm pretty sure all journalists just want to get the story and want to get it out. But you know, there's always gonna be people who've maybe got it wrong, sometimes, through no fault of their own. And as in any profession, there's, there's always gonna be people who are good at their job and people who are bad at their job or, you know, maybe you've misjudged things.

Angela Tuell: 21:32

Yes, I love hearing you say that. When we do media training that's exactly what we say too, Hey, they're just like any of us, they have a job to do, want to do it the best they can and go home at night to their family. For the majority are not out to get you and to purposely skew the story, you know, one way or the other. That's definitely...

Terri-Ann Williams: 21:53

Yeah, exactly. I think that's probably one of the biggest misinterpretations about what journalists do. I think, you know, a lot of the time you'll sit down with somebody, and they're very conscious that that you're going to twist what they say, right? When actually, you know, we just want the best line out of the story. You know, we can't change your quotes like that. It's really bad practice, if people are doing that. And you know, it's not good for anybody, it makes us look bad. You know, it makes the person who's been interviewed look bad. And, you know, no one's twist you. I mean, historically, people obviously have changed people's codes. But if, you know, that's another, you know, we record interviews, people, you know, people use shorthand to do their interview. So, you know, something's gone horribly wrong, if that's happened,

Angela Tuell: 22:40

Right. That's not the norm. Yes. What have been some of the stories that are the most memorable to you, while you've been at the BBC? I know, it hasn't been a long time yet. But what's been most memorable so far?

Terri-Ann Williams: 22:51

So one of the most memorable stories sort of over the time that I've been at the BBC, so far is a piece this week that we've had out, actually, the UK Government has You know, another thing is, as the media landscape continues to announced that schools in the UK will be fitted with a defibrillator. Which is obviously, you know, a really important piece of equipment for somebody who's having cardiac issues, perhaps, or having a cardiac arrest. And we actually had a guest on who'd really sadly, marking his aim was he'd lost his little boy, Oliver, when he was 12. And he'd had, you know, a cardiac arrest, I think it was at school and sadly died. And now Mark has been campaigning for a really long time to get defibrillators into schools, because he, you know, quite rightly believes that, if there had been this piece of equipment at school, then his son might still be alive. So, you know, that was a really good example, I guess, of how there was a government announcement that came out about, you know, these pieces of equipment being given to schools across England. And then, you know, we also had this guest who has worked tirelessly to do this, and it was just a really nice, sort of, it's, you know, when it all comes together, when you've got sort of the Newsline, the government line coming in that, you know, this, these defibrillators are going to be in schools, you know, they're going to be available for people and also, you know, we can then see it from the human side with a guest who's, you know, got a real personal connection to it. change with social and with AI, how do you stay on top of it all, you know, and what are your thoughts on on AI in general? Is that something you've dove into learning? Yeah, so, you know, the AI revolution is huge, isn't it? And I think, you know, it can be quite scary for people. But, you know, I would like to think that this is maybe something that we can welcome rather than shy away from. You know, it might be something that makes everybody's life easier. And, you know, it's not something that I suppose that we've done a lot of work on, in terms of our newsrooms, but I you know, anecdotally from people who I know who sort of work in local journalism across the UK. You know, there was one of my colleagues couple of weeks ago who worked at a local sort of newspaper. And she was telling me that, you know, quite a few of their data stories before she left that particular publication they're now actually being done by AI. And that just obviously means that the story is that is number crunch heavy, and being put through a computer and generated that way, rather than being done by an actual journalist, you know, that might be slightly worrying for journalists who work in sort of the financial space. But again, I think we've always got to remember that. Yeah, okay. It's information that makes a story, but it's also the personal angle, you know, speaking to an actual person is always going to help inform. So yeah, you know, you can have a set of numbers that come out that someone needs to explain that, and that's where, you know, journalists are integral at making sure that the information is digestible for the general public. Someone who might not understand what those numbers mean, you know, making sure they are accessible to people.

Angela Tuell: 26:05

Yes, yes. I think we'll, we'll see a lot of good come from it, once they figured out how to use it properly. Right? I also want to talk a little bit about PR professionals, and you know, at the BBC, how you work with them? What is your advice on the best way for them to get your attention on stories? And if you have any pet peeves?

Terri-Ann Williams: 26:26

Yeah, for sure. And, you know, I think we do you know, every journalist works with PRs. And it's a really important relationship. And I think, over the years, a lot of journalists can dismiss PRs. But you know, I've got some of my best stories from PRs over the years and, you know, in certain industries, you know, especially when I was at Citywire, the relationship between journalist and PR was integral. You know, that's how we get a lot of our stories and content. So, you know, they play a crucial role, we couldn't really do our job a lot of the time without PRs. And whether that's, you know, brand PRs that are pushing a client perspective, or they're pushing a particular product. Or, you know, people forget that media officers for government departments, right, pretty much PR, British, you know, that is their job. And so, you know, yeah, it's, you know, it's great to sort of build relationships, it's great, you know, I'm still a big believer of going out with a coffee for somebody, and really understanding what clients they've got to offer. And, you know, also, then they can understand what you prefer, how it works. You know, at the BBC, we don't want to be pushing someone's product, because there's no point, you know, a brand coming to us and saying, Oh, we can offer this person to come on the television show and talk about their product, because that's just free advertising. Right? Now, that's not going to work. And there has to be, you know, there needs to be a compelling story. And that, you know, it's great if brands have got experts, you know, we did a lot of the sudden with brands, who, you know, maybe they then had a health expert, or a doctor on board, who could talk about it, and can talk about certain topical issues that are coming up, you know, that's always a great way to, you know, for PR people to get their clients exposure, I think, without directly being like, this is a new product, we've got, like, you know. And we're listening to people to try and sell it to you. And yeah, you know, just to reiterate, I do, you know, the relationship between journalists and PRs is, is super important. And I think one of the best ways to do that is just reach out, you know, but I think, you know, you mentioned my pet peeves when it comes to a lot of journalists will probably have a really long list, but I think my two main ones are, research what the journalist covers before you reach out to them. So you know, there's been a lot of times where I've just had really irrelevant stuff. And I know that lots of people use databases, so they can just send out generic emails. But the best way, I think, to ensure coverage is if you've tailored your email, you know, there's no points and you know, okay, I mean, yeah, you might get a lot of luck. If you send out 100 emails, and then two people want to follow up on the story, you know, you might have some luck that way. But I genuinely think if you build a relationship and a rapport with somebody and understand what they're covering, understand what works and that's going to be better, rather than just sending out a blanket email, and then you're following up and saying, oh, did you receive my email? And it's like, well, I did, but I don't work on that. You know, I guess a great example of it was it Citywire I did financial journalism, and then I moved away from that. And still, when I was at the help desk at The Sun, I was getting emails from people trying to you know, arrange meetups, you know, financial sort of areas, and it was quite I don't cover that anymore. I've not covered it for quite a long time.

Angela Tuell: 29:49

Right. That is to develop a relationship, right?

Terri-Ann Williams: 29:55

Yeah. It just, you know, gives you a bit of a sour taste because it's like you clearly don't want coverage in the this particular outlet that much because you don't actually know who you're emailing sometimes.

Angela Tuell: 30:04

Right. Yeah.

Terri-Ann Williams: 30:06

And I guess the second one as well is just don't get my name wrong. I've had them all. I think the best I sometimes put them on my Twitter actually. And these little snippets, I think a couple of weeks ago, someone started that email with Hello, Ariel.

Angela Tuell: 30:21

Ariel. That's not even close.

Terri-Ann Williams: 30:24

Yes, so far away from what my name is, I mean, it gives me a little bit of a laugh. It's sort of like when you go to Starbucks, and they write your name wrong. You know, it does, it does make me laugh. I mean, it's not so much of a pet peeve, but it just gives me a bit of a source of entertainment, I suppose.

Angela Tuell: 30:41

And you know, that's not really someone you developed a relationship with.

Terri-Ann Williams: 30:45

Yeah. 100%.

Angela Tuell: 30:47

So I know you've just started at the BBC, but what do you hope the future holds for your career?

Terri-Ann Williams: 30:53

Oh, wow. Um, yeah, like, you know, as you say, I've just started there. So at the minute, I think sort of the next year, it's really just going to be me focusing on getting really good at this job. You know, bringing in the good story sort of producing them to a really high level. But you know, I'm just interested to see where this role takes me. The BBC, sort of in the northwest of England is growing quite a lot. And the hub in Salford is growing, too. You know, there was some news out a couple of I think it was maybe about a month ago, there's a possibility that the news that one could be moving to Salford, so there's just going to be a lot of opportunity there, basically, for journalists. So it's just going to be interesting to see how that develops, I think sort of in the long term.

Angela Tuell: 31:36

That's exciting. That's exciting. Well, we'll be watching definitely. Before we go, I would love to know what you enjoy doing when you're not working?

Terri-Ann Williams: 31:44

Oh, wow. And yeah, so I mean, it's probably such a basic answer, to be honest. But there's a I like doing CrossFit. And it's just a really great way to sort of move your body, if you've been working on a long shift. You know, it's quite a good stress buster, actually, as well, it's, you know, it's just nice if you've been sort of in an office all day to get out. And, you know, and the good thing about CrossFit is that it's very functional. So you'll end up you know, you carry the groceries home from the supermarket, and you'll start to feel like it's actually not that heavy anymore. It's all like functional fitness that, you know, really makes a difference in your everyday, which is quite nice.

Angela Tuell: 32:22

Wonderful. Well, thank you so much. It was really great talking with you, and how can our listeners connect with you online?

Terri-Ann Williams: 32:30

So you guys can follow me on AX, it's at TerriA_Williams. And if that, you know, that's sort of more of the journalism side of stuff. If you're more interested in that mean, you might not be in CrossFit and sort of my personal stuff. You can follow me on Instagram, it's TAWilliams2. And, you know what I would say, if there's anybody who would like some advice, and you know, is keen to learn a little bit more, please do feel free to email me. Because, you know, I found it really hard when I was coming up to get any advice from anybody. And, you know, everyone's seems a little bit out of reach. So please do if anyone needs any advice. My email address is TerriAnn.Williams@BBC.co.UK.

Angela Tuell: 33:10

Wonderful. We will include those links in our show notes as well.

Terri-Ann Williams: 33:14

Thank you so much for having me, Angela. It's great to talk to you.

Angela Tuell: 33:19

That's all for this episode of Media in Minutes, a podcast by Communications Redefined. Please take a moment to rate, review and subscribe to our show. We'd love to hear what you think. You can find more at CommunicationsRedefined.com/podcast. I'm your host, Angela Tuell. Talk to you next time.