CURRICULUM VITAE

Keith Harris

Content
Personal Information

Career Mission

Education

Employment

Skills/Background

Other Information

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Telephone: +44 (0) 1376 344747
mobile: +44 (0) 7716 737522

Address: 7 Glentworth Mews, Catherine Street, Limerick, Ireland

D.O.B 02/01/1950 (2^nd January 1950)

Children Four, resident UK

Nationality: English. UK passport holder

Current business: Proprietor of Newsmedianews, news portal (www.newsmedianews.com)

Driver’s Licence: Full UK / International

Availability: Available for freelance/contract work. Can be available for staff employment depending on terms offered and provision of relocation package if required

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EDUCATION

1961—1966 Grammar school education to O and A level standard at Wellington, Shropshire, England.

1966—1969 Science and social studies at Haybridge Technical College, Telford, England.

1973—1975 London School of Economics

1982—1986 Trainee reporter to senior level - qualified to NCTJ[1] standard.

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EMPLOYMENT HISTORY (OUTLINE)

1966-1968
Employed by GKN Sankey (UK) as apprentice works safety engineer and trained at GKN’s own industrial training centre and day release at technical college.

1968-1976
Varied positions across wide employment spectrum including: building; roadwork; labouring; taxi-driving (London); deliveries; factory work; legal proof-reader; management training; veterinary hospital work; production supervisor; commissioned research, charitable work, reporting (see page 5 for full employment experience).

1976-1985
Self-employed as freelance journalist.

1985-1990
Senior Reporter with Yellow Advertiser Publications—(first of the major UK news organisations to switch to full direct input). Reporting patches included north and east London, Essex, including Southend, Colchester, Chelmsford, Basildon, Castle Point, Thurrock, and environs.

1990-1995
Chief Reporter with Southern Newspapers, based at Winchester, Hampshire, England. Editorial responsibility for planning and content of news content covering Winchester and Eastleigh and surrounding urban & rural areas, villages and towns of south and mid-Hampshire. Responsible for supervision and on the job training to NCTJ exam level of junior reporting staff assigned to my office and for on-going training of senior staff. Also responsible for implementing staff development agenda.

Responsible for commissioning agency reporting, photography by staff and freelance photographers. Given responsibility by editor-in-chief and managing director of Southern Newspapers to establish new weekly newspaper in Alresford, Hampshire.

Responsible for establishing, developing, nurturing and maintaining good relations with the business and social communities.

1995-1996
Employed in the USA as public relations adviser (fund-raising department) with New Boston Communications, one of the leading professional fund raising companies in the USA. Also employed in many other areas of work in the USA over the year.

1996-1998 — On journalistic/business sabbatical. Resident in Limerick

1998-99
Employed by Limerick Adult Learner Support/Vocational education committee as adult literacy tutor. Included working with under-privileged youngsters.

1999-2000
Drafted and tutored a Limerick college introduction course to basic news reporting for voluntary students in association with FAS Ireland, the Irish national training and employment authority.

1998-to date
Re-established own news service Newsmedianews. Webmaster/editor for Newsmedianews on line services at www.newsmedianews.com

TRAINING/SKILLS

Fully qualified to NCTJ standards a chief reporter/news editor/sub. Fully conversant with Dreamweaver and Photoshop and all Microsoft Office applications, plus a considerable range of other applications. Familiar with Java, PhP and Mysql.

Experienced in audio visual work including live video production.

Skilled in the configuration and use of many of the commodities and practices used by industry today, computer applications and ergonomics of the workplace. As manager of WinNews I developed the skills of commitment and order necessary to operating a small business.

Previous own Business:

Began freelance journalism in combination with television, film, stage and radio script writing in 1971. Continued in freelance journalism until present day. Underwent professional script writing training.

In 1987 established own news wire supply agency, WinNews, providing news by Newslink, a journalists’ wire service, to all UK national media outlets (print and broadcast) and to the international circuit. Over the following years to 1995 continued to independently manage and operate WinNews until taking a journalistic sabbatical. Public relations formed an element of the work as chief reporter/news editor.

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OTHER INFORMATION

Passtime likes

Horse riding, badminton, snooker, fell walking, camping in the rough, cycling, travelling, music, driving

Bosnia
In 1995 I organised and co-ordinated a civilian and business collection of humanitarian aid donations in the UK and participated in a resulting civilian convoy into central Bosnia to deliver the materials and also organise and hold several large children’s Christmas parties for war-orphaned children. The largest involved 300 youngsters aged from infant to late teens.

The project gained the active backing of the UK government of the time and UNPROFOR and while our crew were in Bosnia we were assisted by Col. Mike Smith, deputy commander of the UK/UN forces in the former Yugoslavia.

The mission proved an overall success.

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PAST EMPLOYMENT LIST:

Army medic

Bar back

Builder's mate

Builder/handymanCarpenter

Charity Worker (UK, USA, Bosnia)

Chef

Chief Reporter (8 years, UK)

Delivery driver (UK)

Dumper truck driver

Editor (12 years)

Factory hand

Father of Chapel (NUJ Branch officer)

Feature film scriptwriter (Channel 4)

Fundraiser (Boston, USA)

Gardener

Ghostwriter

Home Father

Hospital attendant

Instructor (journalism, yoga)

Kitchen assistant

Labourer

Legal document proof reader (Lincoln’s Inn, London)

Limousine driver/chauffeur (Based Boston, USA)

Truck driver (non artic)

Machine operator (miller/lathe)

Mechanic (auto)

Minibus driver (London)

Painter Decorator

Radio drama scriptwriter (freelance)

Removals worker

Staff Reporter (10 years)

Researcher

Roads worker

Sheet Metalworker

Sitcom scriptwriter (ITV)

Steelworks materials/production supervisor

Taxi Driver (London)

Tractor driver

Trainee industrial electrician

Trainee works safety engineer (GKN)

Tutor (journalism, reading, writing)

TV scriptwriter (Spitting Image and other & freelance)

Waiter

Welder
Webmaster

Writer

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Career Mission

To use knowledge and experience, skills and training in a positive and beneficial manner in whatever duties I undertake.

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[1] National Council for the Training of Journalists (UK)