It’s easy for most people — journalists included — to look the other way as Julian Assange’s case grinds to its (likely) grim end. He doesn’t fit neat holes — is he a journalist? An activist? A political operator? A source? An intermediary? A publisher? A whistleblower? This means that those who are supporting his … Read more
There’s a moment in Lynn Alleway’s documentary “Camila’s Kids Company: The Inside Story where Camila Batmanghelidjh emerges from a UK parliamentary grilling and the paparazzi are there, calling out her name as if they know her personally — “Camila! Camila!” — to get the best shot. Batmanghelidjh stands on the steps of the building, her … Read more
Companies spend a lot of time talking about their brand(s). But to most journalists the word is meaningless. The word both groups are really thinking about is reputation, as that captures its true importance, since it’s the hardest asset to build up and the easiest to lose. Think of it that way and you’ll understand better about how seriously … Read more
Sponsored content on big media name platforms is not what you think it is. Increasingly, companies are paying well-known journalism brands to produce and host sponsored content. The deal is this: you pay a big name media platform to write something nice about you and they put it on their website. If you squint you … Read more
This is what it looks like when I (top line) interview someone who is chatty. Barely get a word in edgeways.