The Media Mentor
Episodes
Shaping a freelance CV and building your media portfolio
27 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Freddie Clayton first came to me for mentoring advice in 2018 when he was in Argentina. He felt his CV needed a redesign and I helped get it into shap...
Podcasting and community
20 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Podcasthon is the biggest charity event in the podcasting world. It's a fast-growing non-profit initiative that unites thousands of podcasters globall...
Teaching journalism and media
13 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Dr James Mahon teaches at the Open University and has previously worked for the University of Stirling, University of Glasgow and University of the We...
Taking risks and having belief
06 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie Roberts first came to me for advice in late 2023 and after a few mentoring sessions, working on CV and cover letters, he told me that he was m...
Making LinkedIn work for you
27 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Debbie Ford believes LinkedIn works best when it feels like a conversation, not a performance. She created The Chichester Social in 2016 to help compa...
Spinning plates - managing the world of freelancing
20 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week my guest is Andrea Fox, who presents the news on Absolute, as well as being a Continuity Announcer at ITV. Her career has also included voic...
What makes a podcast a podcast?
13 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week my guest is Jon Weeks, a freelance podcast producer, presenter and journalist who came to me for CV advice in 2021 and soon landed a job at ...
What is good editorial judgement?
06 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week I take questions from Seong-Jae Kong who has moved from South Korea to the UK and is studying journalism at the University of Westminster.Se...
To B2B or not to B2B?
30 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Phil Clark has worked in B2B journalism for the last two decades and tells me why it's an underated sector and how it can help people develop investig...
Moving From Journalism Into Podcasting
23 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Apparently 2026 is the new 2016! So this week I chat to Emily Uchida Finch, who first came to me for advice in 2016. We find out how she's doing ten y...
Old Media, New Audiences: Struggling to Connect
16 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this week's episode it's all about creating journalism in a world of changing consumption. Matt Capon is a freelance video journalist who lectures ...
Navigating your career after graduating
09 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week I chat to Sylvie Proffitt, who first came to me for advice in December 2020. Sylvie was struggling to navigate sports media after graduating...
New year, new job?
02 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to Season 2 of The Media Mentor. I begin this series looking at the New Year job hunt. If you have vowed to find a new role in 2026, this epis...
Key learnings, unheard bits and a dream job landed!
19 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode I pick out some of the key tips from the second half of Season 1. Plus I dip into some of the content I was unable to share from those...
Building a career in sports media
12 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week I chat to Gary Taphouse, a football commentator with Sky Sports and other platforms. He talks about the best way to break into the industry ...
Your Questions 5
05 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week I answer questions from Eliska Janska and Antonia Johlen, who are studying journalism at the University of Westminster. Their questions focu...
Matt Deegan on podcasts and visualisation
28 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode my guest is Matt Deegan, an expert on radio, podcast and audio and at the forefront of the industry. Matt is Founder and Creative Dire...
Moving from freelance to a permanent role
21 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode I chat with Christian Smith, who came to me for mentoring advice in 2020. At the time he was a lawyer and aspiring journalist particul...
BBC Trump-gate
14 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this 'emergency' episode I look at the problems for the BBC after a tumultuous week and how it managed to broadcast a doctored version of the Donal...
The changing face to face of recruitment
07 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We've reached 25 episodes of the podcast and this week I chat to Jo Wood, Managing Director of The Media Exchange recruitment consultant.As you’ll d...
Your Questions 4
31 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week I answer questions from Nour Mouhammed, a student studying journalism who moved from Syria a few years ago. Nour has vast experience from he...
Moving from Beijing to London
24 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week I talk to Robin Zhang about how he moved from China to the UK to study journalism and pursue his dream of working in UK radio. When he first...
Solving the recruitment problem
17 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week we look at how the recruitment process can be improved. How do we stop it feeling like an abyss when you send out applications? How do we ma...
Taking a media job on the other side of the world
10 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode I talk with Rhys Gunter, who worked at the likes of the BBC, Talk TV and GB News before moving to Australia, where his latest project ...
Media and the class divide
03 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode I talk to Luca Hussain, Head of Programmes at Creative Mentor Network.It's a charity that wants no class ceiling in the UK's creative ...
Becoming a radio presenter
26 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode I talk to Isaac Kong, host of the podcast Chatter Beans. Isaac came to my course on radio and podcast at City Lit in London and would ...
A mindful approach to AI
19 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Joining me on this episode is Laura Mai Edwards. Laura-Mai decided a few years ago to take a career break, having been in various corporate roles for ...
The Recap
12 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode I look back at the series so far and reflect on some of the insight and advice I've shared.Hear clips from all the guests I have had a...
Building your personal brand
05 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode I talk about personal branding with Delia Rowland, who graduated with an MA in journalism from the University of Westminster two years...
Being a mature media student
29 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Have you thought of studying when you are older - returning to university or a media course after working for a number of years?On this episode I am j...
Your Questions 3
22 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode I am joined by Lucrezia Zito, a recent graduate from the University of Westminster.She has been in touch to ask some questions about m...
Life as a freelancer
15 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode I am joined by Carl Hartley, a broadcast journalist and lecturer of journalism at the University of Leeds.On a recent trip to the univ...
Turning an internship into a job
08 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode is Bella Jewell, who first came to me as a remote intern during the pandemic. She was soon getting paid work as part of the podcast te...
Moving from journalism to comms
01 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode I talk to Emily Slater about moving from journalism into PR and comms. Emily had to travel with her husband because of his job and it ...
Demonstrating passion
25 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode we talk about passion; how to demonstrate it and use it to help advance your career. Matthew Dunne-Miles first came to me as a client ...
Your Questions 2
18 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode I answer your questions about job hunting, covering CVs and what to put in a personal statement, plus we discuss how to deal with reje...
Media recruitment and the 'who you know' problem
11 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode we tackle the thorny issue of media recruitment and how ‘who you know’ is still so important. Is it a good or a bad thing? And how...
Breaking into media when older
04 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode I chat to Leonie Zeumer, a German-born TV journalist and presenter now based in China. When Leonie first came to me in 2019 she had no...
Your Questions
27 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode I answer your questions about media jobs and media careers. With fewer vacancies being advertised right now - making sure you have a s...
AI and recruitment
20 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode we look at how AI is impacting the recruitment sector. Joe Watkins is the founder of AI Recruit, a startup he built to fix what he say...
Perseverance and gain
13 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode I talk to Ethan James, who first emailed me in November 2020 asking for a series of mentoring sessions. It was the height of Covid and...
What is a career?
05 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I discuss media careers and what that really means. I talk about the importance of practical advice in career development and speak to...
How do you bridge the gap from grad to job?
30 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I talk to Elise McGinley who first got in touch with me in the autumn of 2024, struggling to land a full time role in journalism. With...
Who is The Media Mentor?
30 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Meet David Spencer, a seasoned media professional with over 20 years of experience helping individuals navigate their media careers. In this inaugural...
The Media Mentor Trailer
10 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this podcast we look at media careers and trends. I offer advice about media CVs, cover letters and job interviews, as well as how to move sectors,...