Amalia Theologides

• Marketing Manager and Content Lead, Discovery Health supporting executive team, media relations team, social media team, Discovery Health Brand team, Discovery Health Intelligence team, reputation management team.
• Specialist copywriting for press releases and thought-leadership content for media and social media, general social media content, all web content, newsletter copy, training material, client stories and features, opinion and editorial pieces.
• Responsible for content production and strategy predominantly for the Discovery Health business but also in support of Discovery Vitality and other brands within the business.
• Critical thinking and translation of health and other data-driven narratives for publication.
• Redesigning workflows for efficiency.
• I manage content strategy and implementation, including fulfilling Exco thought-leadership needs (also for Linked in, writing for Discovery Health CEO and other members of the executive), multimedia content, public relations and marketing content across a range of formats and for varied channels.
• I have developed and streamlined a POPIA-compliant process of executing medical scheme member stories, and trained our writers up in this regard so that the same process is used across business units.
• Manage freelance writers and external agencies who support the business needs with a wide range of content, by providing thorough briefs, reviewing all work to ensure adherence to plain language, corporate style and tone.
• Create on-brand, best-in-class content, tailored to appropriate customers and built acquisition and adoption campaigns for prospects and customers.
• Write engaging and successful marketing, advertising, and website copy.
• Develop podcast and webinar strategies.
• Additional responsibility: One of four staff ambassadors within Group Marketing services who work as a liaison between staff and HR to highlight issues that affect employee wellbeing and performance.

· Report to Executive Producer (EP). Work closely with co-managing editor and online editor.

· Manage 6 in-house journalists, 20 freelance producers and 5 on-air presenters. Monitor performance.

· Identify growth opportunities for the CB brand and for individual members of the team.

· Keep all members accountable to deadlines, brand ethos and strategic objectives.

· Assign work based on people’s strengths and passions and interact with the EP on team’s behalf.

· Thoroughly understand CB’s business model to (1) ensure all resources needed by the team to advance our objectives are in place (2) ensure projects position CB as leading media brand.

· Keep abreast of all local and global news to provide innovative and attention-grabbing content.

· Give input into developing CB’s brand strategy and providing a clear direction for the production of content that meets rating and budgetary targets. Consider the needs of all stakeholders.

· Attend and coordinate daily, weekly or monthly editorial and planning meetings.

· Guide the sourcing, investigation and production of weekly televised content in current news, investigative and human interest/feature genres to ensure delivery of multiple projects each week.

· Meet weekly and monthly deadlines guided by short and long-term strategic business objectives.

· Oversee various research and production milestones to ensure standards required for cutting-edge, credible journalism that is in the public interest and meets consumer/audience needs.

· Together with other senior management, hire new journalists and train them to follow research methodology to ensure standards maintained by every member of the team.

· Work closely with Online Editor to promote the Carte Blanche brand through Facebook, Twitter, We-Chat, Instagram, Presenter Blogs, Online Polls and more.

· Work closely with media lawyers for advice on and vetting of content before broadcast.

· Work with a keen sense of the fine details critical to excellent research and content - but also with a broad overview of our business model to ensure bigger-picture, strategic thinking.

· Write, sub-edit and approve final scripts, blogs and other written content.

· Sign off final delivery of all content for live Sunday night broadcast.

· Produce the live CB show in studio at M-Net, Randburg every second Sunday evening.

· Assist in the development and implementation of CB spin-off shows such as Carte Blanche Medical show, Carte Blanche Extra (Consumer journalism) (Jan-April 2011), Oscar Pistorius Trial Channel and implement new approaches to the flagship Sunday-night show.

The 24-hour pop-up Oscar Pistorius Trial Channel was conceived by CB Executive Producer, George Mazarakis. We made media history by securing legal permission to broadcast the Oscar Pistorius trial - the first broadcast of a criminal trial live in South Africa– through a dedicated channel.

· As one of two managing editors I laid down the research framework that governed the creation of content for the 24-hour channel.

· Preparations were undertaken over 2 very full months (Jan and Feb 2014) during which time we hired, trained and managed a team of 8 researchers, 6 production coordinators and a host of freelance producers, camera crew members, editors and more.

· When the channel went live on 3 March 2014, I worked from 07h00 to 22h30 every weekday to support the team of producers on the 24-hour channel, and ensure all elements of the channel’s live broadcasts were in place, that all content was accurate and all commentary fair, reasoned and legally sound.

· I also produced two live nightly shows: ‘Social media and the Law’ – which aired 17:00 to 18:00 and the ‘Legal Round Table Debate’ which aired from 20:00 to 21:00, writing scripts, briefing on-air presenters and expert guests.

· Though social media consultants delivered our social media strategy, the managing editors were in large part responsible for posting content to our over 200 000 Twitter fans and Facebook followers.

As Researcher/Senior Researcher:

· Creation of new system ‘Producer Proposal Framework’: a strategic document that helps those pitching stories to focus research and allows management to quickly assess suitability

· Originate, gather and analyse content for broadcast in line with CB’s long-term brand strategy

· Interface with CB’s consumer - viewers who bring us stories

· Build relationships and networks with members of the public (ensuring confidentiality of sensitive sources) and multiple experts relevant to research projects, to enhance the veracity of information.

· Attend weekly editorial meetings, pitch stories.

· Collate all research into a cogent format or project plan to drive an on-camera field shoot.

· Undertake hidden-camera work where needed.

· Collaborate with colleagues, journalists, producers, Managing Editor and Executive Producer - for wider input and consensus on the approach to individualised research projects.

· Meet deadlines on simultaneous assignments of varied subject matter and genre.

· Produce attention-grabbing material within budgetary constraints.

· Informal training and mentoring of Junior Journalists.

· Work with media lawyers and the management team to identify potential editorial pitfalls.

· Testify in court if called to appear in relation to content produced.

As Associate Producer:

· Successfully pitch stories to be shot for broadcast and have them commissioned to me.

· Lead research assignments from pitching concept to final production of televised insert.

· Undertake all elements of research, shooting, direct camera crew and presenter in field, write script, direct offline and online editor, final sound mix engineer’s audio final mix, presenter voice over.

· Deliver all to spec for broadcast.

· Report to Executive Producer and Managing Editor

· Assume editorial responsibility for weekly show content

· Research content and source medical stories on cutting-edge technology or medical negligence etc.

· Interact with primary sources of health/nutrition/medical information to ensure veracity of content.

· Filter and select content for broadcast from in-house and freelance story proposals.

· Manage the team of journalists and producers creating medical content to strict weekly deadlines.

· Screen content with our media lawyers and editorial team to refine structure

· Ensure deadlines met to allow for weekly show content that meets budgetary and ratings targets.

· Ensure successful, year-long run of the CB Medical show (Mondays 19:00-19:30 on M-Net).

· Responsible for establishing new Fourways Review weekly community newspaper. Built relationships with the community and contributed content also syndicated to 5 other weekly Caxton Community Newspapers and the daily national paper, the Citizen.

· Wrote and photographed investigative news, soft news, crime, health, political and social issues, profile pieces, local events and matters of environmental interest and wrote columns.

· As Editor of Hello Johannesburg, Time Out and Leading Venues magazines: wrote content, edited freelancers’ contributions and designed the layout of the magazines which were distributed at hotels, entertainment venues and other points of tourist contact.

· Researched and wrote ‘Spinner’s Gauteng Restaurant Guide’ - sold in local books stores.