THE BBC Scotland news editor for Edinburgh, Rob Flett, has been appointed to the newly-created post of communications manager at the Church of Scotland.
He joins his former BBC colleague, Seonag MacKinnon, who joined the Church, as head of communications, in April, and they will be managing a team of nine, including design, web, a media relations officer and a senior media relations officer.
Flett started freelancing at BBC Radio Orkney as a student in 1990, becoming a full-time researcher at the Corporation BBC five years later. The following year, in 1996, he was appointed a BBC Scotland regional news trainee and went on to work as a video journalist, radio and TV reporter and producer across Scotland and in London.
He has produced radio news programmes and has been output producer on Reporting Scotland and Newsnight Scotland. For the last 11 years, he’s been the BBC’s news editor in Edinburgh.
His communications manager post was created following the departure of comms officer, Fiona Lang, in September, to take a up a new career in health.
Says MacKinnon,the appointment of Flett is “stage two of a drive to build up the Church’s communications with its members and the wider world”. He will be assisted by highly-experienced senior media relations officer, Nick Jury, and another new appointment , Andrew Harris, a former newspaper reporter who of late has been at the Scottish Football Association in charge of media for youth and grassroots development.
MacKinnon told allmediascotland.com: “Rob has a reputation for achieving daily miracles in the workplace through outstanding professional and personal skills. We are delighted to secure his services and those of Andrew.
“The Church is literally a broad Church, offering the Press team hugely varied work, the scope to show what they can do and the chance to develop an extra range of skills. I am sure Rob and Andrew will greatly enjoy playing key roles in a richly interesting and important organisation in Scotland.”
Andrew succeeds Colin McGregor as a comms officer, who was on a temporary contract.
