Mr Alan Williams

Biography

Role

I am a member of the University's Media and Communications team, and work with academics and students to produce a range of content, including written, video, social media etc.

Over the past 12 months and more, I have helped secure national and international coverage through outlets including the BBC, The Times, Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail, Daily Express, New York Times, USA Today and other publications throughout the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

I am principal media liaison for the Faculty of Science and Engineering, including working with academics and students in the School of Biological and Marine Sciences, School of Computing Electronics and Mathematics, School of Engineering and the School of Geography Earth and Environmental Sciences.

I also work in conjunction with the Marine Institute and the Sustainable Earth Institute to promote events and research, all of which often requires taking complex subjects and making them appropriate for a wider audience.

I have also been Communications lead for some of the University's more high profile events, including the Peninsula Arts Contemporary Music Festival, Plymouth International Book Festival, Japan400 Plymouth, It's All About the River film festival, and Plymouth Respect Festival

I am the Primary contact for the University's Media Directory and Media Training for Academics, and for the @PlymUniNews Twitter account.

Qualifications

I joined the University in January 2012, having spent more than 12 years working as a journalist at various publications across the South West, including the Western Morning News and Western Daily Press. In that time, I worked as a local government correspondent before undertaking various newsdesk roles, which gave me a good sense of what media look for in a story but also some of the positive and negative aspects of working with PR professionals.

As part of my training to become a journalist, I completed the National Council for Training in Journalism's Newspaper Journalism qualification (including modules in shorthand, media law, local government and writing).

Since starting at the University, I have attended various other external training courses and events which I now put into practice on a daily basis, including: