What’s this all about?

Meet Steph Spyro

My byline is Steph Spyro but you can call me Steph! I have the total pleasure of covering politics and the environment for the Daily Express. I joined the paper six years ago right before the pandemic struck. Talk about a baptism of fire! It took me so long to write a story during my first shift that a news editor joked “you do know this is a daily paper, right?”.

I’m happy to confirm that several thousand articles later, I’ve learnt a thing or two about the job - including how to write slightly quicker (much to the relief of that editor, no doubt)!

I’ve also come to learn the power of good comms and reliable PR partners. I’m a BIG fan of PRs and comms experts...especially those lifesavers who say “yes” to a 400‑word op‑ed at 5pm on a Friday for the next day’s paper! So, I created Off the Record as a small way of saying a MASSIVE thank you for all those times others have pulled through to help get something over the line.

Meet Dan Townend

I don’t think I was the news editor who joked to Steph about her working for a daily newspaper! But we do go back a long way. And like her, I think there is huge value in good PR and comms. I’ve been a journalist for more than 30 years - with most of that on national newspapers, including the Daily Mail and for a long time at the Daily Express (where I was assistant editor). I understand the symbiotic relationship between the press and those who want to get coverage for their clients or causes. And, as someone who was a comms special adviser in government, I also know what it’s like on the other side of the fence.

I strongly feel that journalism has changed more in the last 18 months in the UK than it has done for the four decades before - and there’s going to be no turning the clock back. So, as well as helping with thoughts and tips, I’ll be doing a weekly analysis of the volatile media landscape - and explaining how knowing the business is key to PRs and comms experts everywhere. I’ll be exploring how comms business can be proactive and make its own media for clients in a way that was never possible before.

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