An overview of some of the projects I have worked on.

1. Robin Jarossi Portfolio
robin.jarossi@blueyonder.co.uk
My suite101 articles: http://www.suite101.com/profile.cfm/tavener
Summary
Page editing/production: In-depth experience of editing and press-passing pages on national
magazines and newspapers (Radio Times, What’s on TV, Daily Telegraph), in addition to leading
customer publishers (Cedar, Publicis Blueprint, John Brown). I am often booked for freelance roles
as chief-sub, deputy editor or editor.
Writing: TV previews for The Daily Mail; features/interviews for World Soccer and Eight poker
This supplement highlighting Sky
magazine; travel writing for Loop (London Transport customer publication); marketing copy. I also won
TV's proposition for female
first prize in the 2008 fiction writing competition run by Iota Publishing in California.
subscribers (as opposed to all the
football) was bound in to The Mail
on Sunday's award-winning You
Skills magazine. I researched, wrote
and edited the pages from home.
Journalism
• Text editing – extensive experience on national magazines and newspapers has equipped
me with the know-how and finesse to seamlessly cut and rewrite copy, and contribute
distinctive headlines and standfirsts
• Commissioning – track record in developing contacts among first-class, award-winning
writers and working with contributors in the UK and those based in the US and Australia
• Writing – started as a news reporter on the Hackney Gazette and have since moved into
feature work on titles such as TV & Satellite Week, Eight magazine, World Soccer and
suite101.com
• Research – commissioned to research and write features for London Transport's Loop
magazine (London's best winter visits) and World Soccer (history of famous World Cup
commentaries on TV). I've also researched and written more than 20 articles for
suite101.com
• Interviewing – sports stars, TV personalities, see portfolio section below…
• Press pass – extensive experience as a sub and chief sub, most recently as acting chief-
sub and acting deputy editor at What's On TV for several months last year
zap was one of six magazines
Project management that I launched or edited while at
Scorpio Multimedia (which was
• Dummies/projects owned by the cable industry). It
• People management started as a customer guide to
• Budgets Telewest's on-demand TV
services – shopping, banking,
gaming. We were then asked to
see portfolio pages below… relaunch it and include a full
multi-channel TV listing guide
and celebrity features.
Software
• Quark
• Indesign CS
Work history
The Daily Mirror
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2. 2009
We Love Telly, The Ticket
I've been working in subbing and production across The Daily Mirror's supplements division.
What’s on TV
United Kingdom 2008
Acting deputy editor (six months)
I was asked to help while the million-selling weekly and its website underwent a major redesign.
The deputy editor acted as the editor and I stepped in to do some of her normal duties, such as
giving pages a final read, helping with the IPC awards and attending editorial planning meetings.
For three years I edited the
Cedar Communications Tesco Christmas Magazine and
Gift Guide. This was produced in
United Kingdom 2005 - 2007
two editions, UK and Ireland, and
Editor, Tesco Christmas Gift Guide had a print-run of 4.5m.
I was initially asked in to help with the 2005 edition after the previous editor walked out. I got the
edition to press and wrote a memo making some suggested production improvements. I was invited
back to edit the next two annual editions.
My role entailed liaising with buyers and managing the three-month production of Tesco’s shopping
guide.
Responsibility: to manage subs and contributors; create high-quality content showcasing Tesco
brand values; ensure accuracy of several hundred catalogue items; to hit deadlines for 4.5m print
run.
Experience gained: dealing with huge retail business and complex editorial content.
see portfolio pages below…
John Brown Publishing (Code London)
I produced the editorial pitch that
United Kingdom 2006 - 2007 won Scorpio Multimedia the
Writer/editor, pitch work contract to publish this luxury
customer magazine for travellers
I was asked to produce copy for two pitches, one for an Amway catalogue and the other for a Marks with Star Clipper Cruises.
& Spencer brochure. Once the copy was approved internally, I edited it on page and wrote sells,
straps and headlines.
Achievement: both pitches were successful in winning the business for John Brown.
TVeasy
United Kingdom 2007
Acting chief-sub (three months)
I was booked at short notice to oversee the features desk with its team of five, meeting weekly
deadlines. I have been asked back several times since then.
The Complete Guide to the World Cup 06
2006
Section writer/researcher A brochure that was designed to
be given to guests and celebs at
I researched and wrote a guide to watching the 2006 World Cup on TV, including broadcast details ITV's awards event and
of every match, commentator interviews and a history of top World Cup moments on telly. distributed at selected
newsagents. I commissioned the
see portfolio pages below… features and edited the
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3. Publicis Blueprint publication with a team of
United Kingdom 2004 freelancers.
Editorial consultant
Publicis were asked to pitch for an ntl magazine aimed at its broadband customers.
The brief – to enable ntl customers to fully utilise their internet subscriptions and motivate them to
upgrade to its high-speed broadband services.
My proposal – I produced a dummy that was segmented into three editions that would be aimed at
and delivered separately to low-, medium- and high-spending customers. The editorial was
designed to advise customers of all ages on how to get maximum use out of their subscriptions,
while pointing out the benefits of upgrading.
I was asked to attend the pitch with Publicis's management team.
Experience gained: creating and revising a project to meet a tightly focused client brief.
Mail on Sunday, You magazine
An A3-size listing guide to
United Kingdom 2003 - 2004 UKTV's Christmas programmes
Supplement writer/editor that was inserted in You
magazine. I was commissioned
I was commissioned to write and edit two supplements for the MoS. by The Mail on Sunday to
compile and edit the supplement
The first was an A3-size listings guide for UKTV, for which I sourced the programme data and and did the work from home.
edited it on page.
The client for the second project was Sky TV. My brief was to write a supplement called Your,
aimed at Sky's female, non-football watching subscribers, that would be bound onto the back of its
award-winning You magazine. My solution was to highlight how Sky's entertainment services
offered viewing that could be enjoyed by the whole family sitting down together, along with the
educational value of its documentary channels for children.
Experience gained: writing and honing marketing copy to meet the requirements of major clients.
North South Publishing
United Kingdom 2003
Editor, National TV Awards brochure
My role was to commission and edit the official National TV Awards brochure for ITV, with a mix of
industry and entertainment features. The publication was to be distributed to guests attending the
event and go on sale at newsagents. The Cable TV Awards ran for five
years and its star-studded
Working with a freelance designer, production editor and two ad execs, I commissioned interviews ceremony was televised on
by top media and television writers such as Maggie Brown (interview with the BBC director general), UKTV's Living channel. I helped
Liz Hoggard (on reality TV) and Brian Viner (interviews with Dawn French and Michael Parkinson). to launch the awards, which
received 30,000 votes in Cable
Experience gained: working with a hastily assembled freelance team to produce a high-quality Guide, its sister publications and
publication in four months. online, and was an invaluable
marketing event for Telewest and
ntl.
Scorpio Multimedia
1991 - 2003
Editor-in-chief
I joined what was originally called Cable Guide Ltd to edit Cable Guide magazine, the industry's
multi-channel listings and features monthly that was sent to subscribers.
As the company expanded, I was promoted and became responsible for all editorial. This included
editing, commissioning, staff recruitment and assessment, budgeting, pitching for new work and
production planning.
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4. Cable Guide eventually morphed into Zap and ntl guide, while other successful pitches that I was
responsible for included the winning of contracts for The Clipper (luxury holiday magazine for Star
Clipper Cruises: see portfolio pages below), and Emmerdale Stars and Coronation Street at
Christmas (client: Granada TV).
Achievements: While I was editor, Cable Guide achieved a 10-year record in reducing customer
defections (in franchises where the magazine was available, churn was universally lowest). The
Guide was also nominated for a PPA Award.
Hayter's Sports Agency
United Kingdom
Football match reporter, freelance
Covered top division football matches for national newspapers and local radio on behalf of Hayter's.
Each Saturday assignment included writing three to five match reports, filing copy to several tight At Scorpio I edited a monthly
deadlines and conducting occasional post-match interviews. guide for the pay-per-view home
movie service Front Row, which
was inserted in Cable Guide and
Radio Times
gave a breakdown of films and
United Kingdom how to order.
Chief sub
Hackney Gazette
United Kingdom
Chief crime reporter for two years. Passed my NCTJ Proficiency Test.
Education
Harlow College Journalism Centre
United Kingdom
National Council for the Training of Journalists Proficiency Test, News
reporting, libel law, shorthand
Passed during two-year traineeship at the Hackney Gazette. I have also edited on a voluntary
basis my neighbourhood
newsletter, a quarterly blast by
City University, London residents and local authors about
United Kingdom the area that is distributed to
1000 businesses and homes.
Post-graduate Journalism Diploma
News and feature writing, interviewing, shorthand, libel law
University of Kent
United Kingdom
BA Hons , History
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5. Cable Guide/Zap/ntl guide
I developed Telewest asked Scorpio NTL (Telewest's partners
Telewest’s 120-page Multimedia (which it part- in Scorpio Multimedia)
TV listings and customer owned) to produce a new wanted its own branded
guide into a 216-page title focused on its listings guide. I worked
title in 13 regional interactive services closely with NTL's
editions, while available via the remote agencies, Lambie Nairn
subscriptions (40 percent control – email, and Saatchi's, to produce
of which were actively shopping, banking and a glossy channel guide
paid for by customers) gaming – as well as with TV star features.
grew from 60,000 to 2m multi-channel viewing. I Subscribers had to opt-in
a month. helped to design the new to pay for the title, which
title's format and edited achieved an official ABC
it. of 229,000 a month.
Scorpio launched a For this special The result was that we
special edition of zap for collector's issue to received exclusive
the newsagents, with coincide with The artwork drawn specially
comprehensive listings Powerpuff Girls movie, I for our cover format.
and film, sport and negotiated with Cartoon
television features Network eight months
commissioned from ahead of its release.
leading writers.
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6. Award-winning feature
writer Brian Viner (Daily
Mail and The
Independent) was our
regular columnist and
interviewer. I also
commissioned writers
such as Garth Pearce
(Sunday Times), Tina
Ogle (Daily Mail) and
Gavin Hamilton (editor of
World Soccer).
Eight magazine
Eight is a poker/ I wrote the I researched the I still do interviews
sport/lifestyle Playbook section, 888.com site and for Eight
magazine for suggesting to the wrote advice about magazine, with
888.com editor that poker choosing easy both amateur
subscribers. players would tables and players and pros.
want their checking the
magazine to give feature revealing a
them tips and player's match
strategies for history to spot
staying ahead of weaknesses in
the game. their play.
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7. The Clipper
The Clipper was a glossy I commissioned the This was a good fit with
travel companion placed editor of Yachting the magazine's readers.
in the luxury cabins of Monthly to write about Research by the client
travellers with Star Europe's yacht racing revealed that many of
Clipper Cruises. scene. their customers owned
their own boats.
The central section of the I commissioned The Other sections: fashion,
magazine was a guide to Sunday Times travel celebs who had travelled
the ports visited by the editor to write the port on the clippers, the best
company's three guide. novels about the sea,
clippers. and wines to seek out in
each port.
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8. Tesco Christmas Gift Guide
I edited the Tesco It had a print run of 4.5m Part of my job was the
Magazine and Christmas and was produced in two effective promotion of the
Gift Guide for three editions – UK and Tesco Direct online
years. Ireland. service, which achieved
huge growth across the
three editions.
The Gift Guide has Fashion and jewellery They required extensive
magazine elements and were vitally important liaison with Tesco's head
a large catalogue section sections. fashion buyer and many
that requires a huge revisions.
amount of carefully
checked and revised
data – prices, guides,
advice, ordering
instructions, catalogue
numbers.
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9. World Soccer World Cup 06
This souvenir special I was commissioned to It included interviews
was a spin-off from IPC's write a 10-page guide to with the two main
World Soccer magazine. the event on television. commentators.
I negotiated with ITV and These formed a fun, The editor also wanted a
the BBC to get tapes of evocative eight-page light-hearted profile of
classic commentaries feature. the hosts and pundits.
from the past.
This next-generation resume was created using VisualCV
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