Mik Barton
After graduating “quite a few years ago” Mik first worked in local government planning departments and developed a
particular interest in public participation and how councils could engage with the communities they serve. He then entered journalism
through BBC and independent local radio and carved out a freelance career with national media that led him to work at the 1992 Olympic
Winter Games. A switch to the PR side of journalism meant he has since gained valuable experience of local government departments
as varied as education, social services, leisure, environment and transport – as well as major development projects – finishing as
a cabinet media adviser for the UK’s largest city authority. He then headed up media relations for Birmingham’s bid to become
European Capital of Culture and subsequently set up the new press office operation for the region’s transport authority covering three
city and four metropolitan borough councils.
It was during these last two posts particularly that Mik recognised the growing
significance of the internet in managing media relations. He worked with WPL to customise and develop a web platform perfectly
suited to a complex local government organisation and used this to enhance relationships with key media. The site he created
and managed led, among other things, to the organisation tripling its coverage in the trade press.
Having seen first hand how
effective use of the web can improve the efficiency of local government media relations, particularly for small, but busy, press offices,
Mik then set up his own company to offer the same advantages to local authorities and other public sector bodies across the UK.
Mik
is a member of both the National Union of Journalists and the Chartered Institute of Public Relations.
