If I’d penned this post just a couple of days ago, the tone might not have been overly positive. I’m nearing the end of my first week of annual leave, which was much needed after the three of us spent recent memory swapping infectious diseases. The week didn’t start well, with Albie losing weight yet…
Tag: journalism
Consumed by illness, while Brexit consumes others
Apologies that this blog has not been updated for a few weeks – it’s increasingly felt like our household has been gripped by the Black Death. It’s no secret that babies and toddlers are magnets for illness. And while Albie has yet to master walking or consuming milk, neither has he got to grips with…
Why we are caught in a vicious social media circle – and negativity won’t solve anything
Used well, social media can be an incredible force for good. But too frequently it descends into a playground to kick around the same old complaints, aimed at the same old targets. Retail is a regular recipient of fault-finding. Just days before Christmas, a Worthing Facebook group debated a deserted evening high-street scene. The majority…
Producing a newspaper at Christmas: behind the scenes in journalism
Christmas is a time to unwind – but for many local journalists, the big day is not so relaxing. Depending on their newspapers – and breaking news – reporters drawing the short straw this year would at the very least be expecting an unwelcome phone call to draw their lunch to a swift conclusion. Let’s…
Making national news and finally cracking sleep after 11 months
Everyday life is pretty hectic at the moment – and that has impacted on how much I’ve been able to write recently. But even then, a lot has been achieved in blog terms. My last post leapt to the defence of pregnancy and parenthood company Bounty after it received a bit of a battering in…
BBC’s Press: a drama to make us journalists cringe
The titles of new BBC journalism drama Press roll and it’s already irritating most of the journalists watching. There’s some fancy shots of notepads with lots of longhand. Where’s their shorthand? Did the reporter flunk their entry exams? Why are they being burned? Their owners must be pretty confident they won’t need to defend any…
Spotlight, Press and the inside story into a major investigative journalism team
Oscar-winning biopic Spotlight aired on BBC Two last night, giving viewers a thrilling insight into the United States’oldest journalistic investigations unit. It was a timely showing, with new show Press airing for the first time last week to some mixed reviews from journalists, who questioned the accuracy of the British journalism drama. While I’ve yet…
Can we as parents help reduce worrying trends of youth knife crime?
Journalists encounter the very best – and worst – of our communities. Among the worst issues I have had to deal with in my career is knife crime, a persistent problem which is sadly getting worse rather than better, according to national statistics. As a trainee in 2014, I reported on the most horrific court…
Covering GCSE results day made me wonder what madness Albie would face in 16 years’ time…
GCSE and A-level results days are a hugely stressful time for students, teachers and lecturers alike – but they’re no fun for journalists, either. This year was my first set of results days in an editor role, providing a peek at the logistical nightmare which comes with the territory. How do we cover a dozen…
Behind the scenes on newspaper deadline day – as the baby threatens the dreaded pox
I was just a day into riding solo without my boss at work on Monday when Hanna announced Albie had suspected chicken pox. “He’s running a fever over 38 degrees Celsius’, she helpfully exclaimed, asking what was wrong with him, as if running the office practically single-handed wasn’t challenging enough and I had also mastered…
