Former journalist Lesley Wilkinson established Stirling PR in 2014, but her passion for storytelling began over two decades ago.

Abandoning her childhood dream of becoming a singing nun (yes, really), Lesley fell in love with writing as a teen and graduated from the University of Glasgow with a master’s degree in English Literature in 1999.

Fresh from university she landed her first job as a local newspaper reporter with the Stirling Observer, covering everything from court cases to community campaigns. A varied role that would see her travel to Kosovo to report on the peace keeping mission.

Hungry to learn about all aspects of the media, Lesley studied broadcast journalism at night school and hit the airwaves. Volunteering with hospital radio before landing her first reporting shifts at the newly launched Real Radio in Glasgow, where hourly news bulletins taught her the meaning of a tight deadline.

With four years of journalism experience under her belt, she branched out into PR becoming the University of Stirling’s first Media Relations Manager in 2003. Whilst working full-time she studied for a second master’s degree, this time in Public Relations; adding a formal qualification to her working know-how and earning her a promotion to Head of Communications and Media.  

Lesley’s education and media experience have given her a sound understanding of how to find and tell a good story:

“As a reporter I was on the receiving end of hundreds of emails every day from companies desperate for media attention. So, having a story that stands out from the crowd is a must. With news the clue is in the name, is there anything ‘new’ in your story? Is there anything unusual about it? Do you have a fresh perspective or local angle on a national story? We live in a digital age where everyone skim reads content, so you need to tell your story in as few words as possible and make sure you have some eye-catching images or video to illustrate it. This will increase the chance of your story being picked up by journalists and shared on social media.”

Now you know our story, what’s yours? Get in touch.