Journalist – Steve Gold

From his Sheffield base, Steve has been a journalist for 23 years and has worked with Turtle Consulting Group since 2002. He is a regular contributor to Dealer Info, Euromedia,  Mobile News, Infosecurity Today magazine, SC Magazine and The IT Pro Portal.

“I’ve never had any issues with being a journalist who writes for PR companies as well as for publications,” says Steve Gold.

“I might get massacred for saying this, but in my opinion, good PR writing is really not that different from true journalism. You write for your audience and someone picks up the bill, whether it’s an editor or a PR company. The writer still produces a product to fit a brief,” he adds. “Although as an Editor I often receive very poor writing from PR agencies because its written by account handlers and not trained journalists.

Gold has been writing press releases, case studies and white papers for Turtle Consulting Group since he was reintroduced to MD Phil Turtle at a press briefing in 2002.

“I knew Phil years ago when he was a director of MaNAP the UK’s No2 Internet Exchange,” says Gold, “and when we became reacquainted, I was interested to hear about his model for a virtual PR consultancy.”

Most Turtle personnel are homeworking freelancers, who have other clients and commitments outside of working for the Consultancy.

“Turtle Consulting Group is a team of experienced freelance professional PRs, project managers and writers, most of whom have from 10 to 25 years’ industry experience,” explains MD Phil Turtle.

Because of the unique way Turtle Consulting Group operates, different teams of personnel create press materials than those who will eventually sell them in. In this way, freelancers play only to their strengths. A writer, such as Gold, is never asked to cold call journalists, ‘sell in’ stories or handle clients – unless of course they want to.

Gold, who is a specialist IT security, internet and communications journalist and one of Europe’s top Mobile commentators, enjoys working as part of Turtle Consulting and sees it as complimentary to his other work, saying: “I like seeing life from both sides of the coin.

“Working as part of a PR team, I get to see the client in raw state rather than the fawning one that often greets me when I’ve got my journalist hat on.

“As a journalist, I only get to see the sanitised version so it’s interesting for my own professional development to be privy to the warts and all reality!” adds Gold.

Is a career spanning over 20-years, Gold has worked for other PR agencies and appreciates the distinctions he finds at Turtle.

“Working with Turtle Consulting is a different experience to other agencies. They’re much more of a functional team and not a battle of egos,“ he says. “I’ve got no ego and no axe to grind so I’ve fitted in just fine.

“Importantly, they don’t ask me to write advertorial type copy as many PRs do in order to keep their clients happy. They focus on the needs of editors for high quality journalism and from what I hear they’ve very strict with their clients about maintaining very high standards of journalism. I know editors love the material that Turtle produces on behalf of its clients.”

Gold appreciates the easy camaraderie and the support network that has grown between the freelancers saying, “I don’t mind mucking in evenings and weekends to help meet deadlines. And I know the rest of the team will help me out whenever they can as well.”

The social-side of working with Turtle has also been a big hit and Gold has attended several informal get-togethers and training sessions over the years.

“Turtle is a good team of people who manage to be thoroughly professional and totally human and down-to-earth at the same time.

“Working for Turtle certainly works for me,” concludes Gold. “It’s a regular and enjoyable part of my working life.”