Working for local magazines has given me the chance to cover all kinds of topics: general news, lifestyle, feature interviews, reviews, event recaps, recipes, and think pieces. Below is a sample of recent work.
SOS Whitstable and Dirty Business
Everyone was talking about Channel 4’s documentary on sewage dumping. Big stars like David Thewlis and Charlotte Ritchie, exposing a nationwide scandal, laying evidence bare for viewers to decide how to react. At the heart of it, a group of volunteers from little Whitstable.
I liaised with SOS Whitstable to find out how involved they were in the production of Dirty Business and what they want people to learn from it. “Change happens when people care enough to get involved,” they said. Hopefully, I’ve contributed to keeping the conversation alive.
Click to view.
A Parent’s Guide to Christmas Shopping
This article was inspired by posts I’d seen on social media talking about the ‘good old days’ when my generation would sit and circle toys in an Argos catalogue as our Christmas list. These days, what kids want can change overnight thanks to the immediacy of the internet and the content they’re watching.
I also wanted to make the act of buying gifts more fun. So many parents get caught up on how much they’re spending, causing stress and ruining the magic of the season. Yes, it’s cheesy but true.
I managed to link to a popular TikTok trend at the same time; content created by parents, for parents.
Click to view.
Making a Memorable Mother’s Day
This is fairly similar to the above, but I’ve included it because to me, a lot of gift guides are full of the same suggestions. Mum doesn’t always want a pamper kit and slippers; some mums will genuinely prefer a bottle of rum or stack of encyclopaedias. Sentimental gifts almost always hit the mark, however, if you’ve got multiple kids, you might not want four painted vases.
Essentially, I was trying to fill a gap in the content I was seeing, supported by opinions (okay, comedy skits) I’d come across online.
Click here to view.
Rise of Rugby – Greenhithe
I am not a sporty person. I get caught up in the hype around big tournaments and love a friendly game of mini golf. That’s it. However, if we’re in need of sport-related content, I’ll get to researching and put something together as though I’ve been a fan my whole life.
I wrote Rise of Rugby because I’m a bit of a history nerd and Dartford Rugby Club never replied to my email. The resulting piece was adaptable to stay local by swapping out the details at the end, and when other clubs saw the copy, they were interested in working together.
Click here to view.
The Disappearance of Agatha Christie
Whether you’re an avid reader or not, hearing that the mastermind of early crime novels once became a story of her own is intriguing. Better still when it’s directly linked to your hometown!
This was a fun one to write. Presenting facts and theories in a relatively short word count for such a topic, keeping readers interested without sensationalising needlessly. If you tell the story properly, it does the job itself.
Click here to view.
Not found what you’re looking for? Get in touch – I’m sure I’ll have a sample to hand.
Nicola Jacobs - blog 