Everything we learnt from our ‘music journalism’ panel
Ever wondered what it’s like to report, review and analyse music? We spoke to two journalists working in music journalism to find out their top tips and advice for those trying to follow in their footsteps.
We heard from freelance music journalist Seth Pereira and Premier Gospel radio presenter and Wiley social media strategist Hannah Lovejoy.
The free event was hosted by freelance music journalist and How to be a Journalist podcast host Plamedi Mbungu.
Seth has bylines in NME, Rolling Stone, Clash, GRM Daily and Trench.
Interested mainly in rap and RnB, he has interviewed artists such as Fredo, AJ Tracey, Central Cee and James Blake.
Hannah has worked in radio since 2016, when she first completed work experience at Capital FM.
Since then, she has worked at BBC Radio 1Xtra, Kiss FM, Smooth Radio, Greatest Hits FM and Premier Gospel.
Hannah is now the presenter and producer of Premier Gospel’s Saturday daytime show.
Finding your niche
Journalists are always talking about the importance of ‘finding your niche’ but how does that really help early-career journalists?
Hannah said her interest, enthusiasm and musical expertise was instrumental to her success at the start of her career.
She said: “I built a specialist knowledge of Latin Gospel music and so I became that person.”
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Hannah mentioned editors then thought of her straightaway if a related story or opportunity became available.
This included becoming the presenter and producer of the Latin Selection show – the only Christian Latin music show in the UK.
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Having a specific subject interest can develop your skills and bring you new opportunities, but Seth said there are a few things to keep in mind when doing so.
He said: “It’s good to have a niche but you can get pigeonholed.”
Early-career journalists should focus on creating a diverse portfolio so that future employers can see that you have range.
If you’re looking to start a journalism portfolio and need some guidance, read here.
This doesn’t mean you have to write about stories that are wildly different either!
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Seth mainly writes feature articles with musicians but has also written news stories about related topics such as London festivals, nightlife and fashion.
He said: “Try to broaden your horizons.”
Pitch your stories to publications that are different to what you have tried before. Read here for some inspiration about where to start.
Using new platforms
Phones have brought a new type of digital journalism into the world, with social media meaning news travels faster and to even wider audiences.
Knowing how to use platforms such as Instagram, X and TikTok is essential to being successful in the industry.
Hannah said: “The skills that you learn in writing for print and web journalism also apply to video when you’re scripting and researching.
“If you think about journalism in its multimedia format and not just writing, there are so many opportunities.”
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Hannah worked in social media at Bauer Media for more than two years, and it taught her a lot about the direction journalism is going in today.
She said if she could go back to when she first graduated from her NCTJ course, she would have ‘taken social media more seriously’.
Hannah said: “TV is not the pinnacle of media anymore, social media is because it’s in everyone’s hand.”
Seth agreed with Hannah and said using social media helps promote not just your stories, but you as a journalist.
“I like writing features but I’m always thinking of ways I can turn what I’m writing into video essays or turn my research into an Instagram page and find new ways to channel my skills, ” he said.
“You never know who is watching and seeing your work, even if you haven’t got 100,000 followers.”
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Best moments
Hannah said she had some of her proudest moments as a journalist when working at Bauer Media.
She spoke about the ‘Greatest Hits Radio Fan Club’ where fans could connect with legendary artists on air by sending in questions and if theirs were picked, they would win a signed record.
This connects fans with artists they would have no access to otherwise.
Hannah said: “The first person who did it for us was Shania Twain when she was headlining Glastonbury which was mind-blowing.”
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Seth said being nominated for the ‘Best Journalist’ award at the Young Music Boss Awards 2025 has been his career highlight so far.
“That was a pretty surreal moment,” he said.
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Did you enjoy our ‘Getting into music journalism’ panel? Join our next free journalism workshop here.