On a flying visit to his native Dublin, freelance journalist Philip O’Connor, the man behind his own media blog and podcast, the wonderfully titled Our Man In Stockholm, dropped by for the tenth media-savvy Off Message podcast.
We chewed the fat on his attempt to crowdfund much of his journalism income, how he uses social media to generate work, his often outspoken tone online, his unique and unusual route into journalism, and loads more.
As the Press Council of Ireland nears the end of its tenth year in operation, Press Ombudsman, Peter Feeney is my guest on the ninth media-savvy Off Message podcast.
Our chat explored the vagaries of dealing with complaints for both online and print publications, his previous lengthy career in RTE making programmes and overseeing their Freedom of Information activity, his love of local newspapers, his predictions for the future of the press and public service broadcasting, and lots more.
Just a year into her most high-profile radio job to date, the eighth media-curious Off Message podcast features Newstalk’s Lunchtime Live presenter Ciara Kelly.
During our 50-odd minute chat we chewed the media fat on debating extremists, social media bullying and detoxing, developing a media career without having to hustle, taking over a big show after an equally big controversy, and loads more.
The fourth media-mad Off Message podcast is with the ubiquitous Norah Casey who has worked both here in Ireland and in the UK across all sectors in the media.
She’s run and owned numerous publishing ventures, she’s presented her own radio and television programmes, she’s managed a handful of online businesses and written a book of her hectic life to date.
In it the podcast Norah reveals the tortuous stories behind her hugely emotional live Late Late Show and Marian Finucane appearances in which she first told the highly charged stories of her second husband’s death and the domestic abuse she suffered for nine years at the hands of her first; her recently-discovered insatiable love of podcasts; her real fear that she’s now become a news junkie; the trauma of selling most of her cherished magazine titles late last year; her love-hate relationship with social media; and lots more.
The third Off Message media-mad podcast features Mark Little, a man who’s already been around the media block more than once.
As you might imagine we had a lot to talk about, from the nitty gritty of his new business venture, to his reaction when Rupert Murdoch came sniffing round his last one, to the importance of genuine critical feedback, to how his own personal media consumption has changed radically over the years, and loads more.
The debut Off Message podcast, featuring the media-related wit and wisdom of RTÉ 2fm’s music-and-movie-mad Dave Fanning.
Over the course of our chat Dave reminisces about his almost completely accidental career journey; how his RTÉ career hasn’t exactly gone to plan; whether he’d ever ask U2 the hard questions; his unconventional advice for succeeding in the media world, and at a typical Fanning rate of knots, of course much, much more.
It’s a vital part of any freelancer’s armoury. It’s what regularly helps brings home the bacon.
And in its own way, it’s fun.
So how best to do the hustle?
As I left RTÉ last week at the end of another long run there I was very aware that I hadn’t a gig lined up to go to anywhere else anytime soon.
Oddly I wasn’t too worried, which as a freelancer is a very weird feeling.
For the past 6 years I’ve participated in DCU’s annual mentorship programme.
Here’s why: if I’ve passed on even the occasional useful titbit, it’s job done.
