Dani Wozencroft
By Dani Wozencroft
I’m not very good with numbers, never have been. I am better with words, and I’m also quite nosey. Not really a surprise that I became a journalist then.
Getting to meet new people, gossip about what’s happening with them and sharing that with others is not the way most people make a living – but it’s great for me.
I’ve had a few roles as a shorthand teacher, travel reporter, newsreader and a newspaper reporter so when I told my friends I was joining J&PR as an account manager they wondered how I would cope without the professional gossiping.
But this way I get to meet new clients and tell their great stories for them – yet another way of meeting new people and learning about them!
I began working in radio on the now defunct Telford FM, The Severn and The Wyre which broadcast across Shropshire and north Worcestershire.
You may have seen me driving around Oswestry in the yellow travel car in my early days, stopping every 15 minutes to do a bulletin while people beep and waved at me (once dressed as a bat for Halloween, one of many things the powers-that-be thought was a good way to make me look stupid. We won’t talk about dressing as an elf in Percy Throwers).
I was soon lured into the warmth and cosiness of the news booth, with everything at my fingertips.
But when the radio stations were sold I moved into print. During my days as a reporter on the Shropshire Star I’ve learnt more than I could have imagined about the price of milk, farming, the way pies are made, wine is bottled and beer is brewed – I did write about things over than food though.
I’ve made great friends along the way too, but having married a fellow reporter most evening were taken up with parish or town council meetings, being on call or doing a review. Not to mention weekends.
And now that I’ve made the jump to the dark side (as journalists tend to refer to PR) I’m excited about the new chapter ahead.
I feel like I won’t be leaving anything behind as a get to meet yet more new people and learn things I never knew about dentistry, fitness, the care industry and butchers…. To name but a few.
And I’m not totally letting go either – when I’m not at J&PR I’ll be teaching journalism to diploma students.
Once again I get to share my love of shorthand and equip them so they don’t fall foul of the laws journalists abide by, don’t mix up their stories about the PM with MPs or feel the wrath of the readers by writing inaccuracies.
I’ll be preparing them for the joy that lies ahead when they get out into the big wide world – and making a big change in your career reminds you that it is pretty big out there.
To find out about other members of the J&PR team visit https://www.jandpr.com/about-us/meet-the-team/.
J&PR are a Shropshire PR agency covering Shrewsbury, Telford, north Shropshire, south Shropshire and parts of Mid and North Wales. As well as working with businesses, organisations and events across the region on PR campaigns J&PR run regular DIY PR Training Courses and DIY Digital PR Training Courses at venues in the county.
