Hashtag Personal News
A shorter missive today based on what's going on with me...
As mentioned last week, today’s SubStack is coming a bit later and it is focusing on ME!
Because I have some personal news.
As of tomorrow, my job is changing. After just over two years reporting on Europe and Social Affairs for Byline Times, the majority of that period in a full time role, I am moving to a part time global rights brief, responding to the news cycle with articles relating to global rights issues.
Which means the rest of the time I am going back to freelancing!
I’m really proud of the work I did with Byline Times, particularly my reporting on the cost of living crisis, the migrant crisis, health, inequality, Ukraine, social care, children’s rights, and crime and justice. It was brilliant to work with BITE to deliver their investigation into cronyism in the Lords, to work with Heidi Siegmund-Cuda on stories about the rise of the US anti-abortion right, and with my pals Dr Iain Overton and Sascha Lavin on our big investigation into the Rwanda scheme.
I also wanted to take this opportunity to share some of my favourite FOI-led investigations, looking at miscarriage as a result of DVA; charging migrant women for abortion services; how children’s social care has been impacted by the cost of living crisis; and, with Sascha Lavin, the scale of sexual violence in hospitals.
Working on the European and Social Affairs brief also provided opportunities to talk to amazing women and LGBTQ+ activists fighting for a better world. Highlights included interviewing Saghar from the Afghan Girls Robotic Team; speaking to Nobel Prize Winner Oleksandra Matvichuk about Ukraine; and my work in Kenya speaking to a range of pro-abortion activists.
I will of course be continuing to deliver stories to Byline Times in this new capacity, and although I’m no longer in the main team I’m excited to get to grips with the global rights brief. I already have a list of stories to get cracking on with this week.
More importantly, I am SUPER excited to be back on the freelance train. I have lots of irons in the fire right now with some long-term investigations and grant proposals fizzing away – and I am really looking forward to working with a range of editors and publications to continue to produce data-led investigative work, long-form storytelling, and on-the-ground reporting on social affairs and justice issues.
(are you one of those editors? HMU!)
Ever since I was little I have wanted to be a journalist. I really believe journalism has the power to create change. My journalism is driven by a determination to platform voices that go unheard, and that tell the stories that have been ignored for too long. Journalism that tells other people’s stories, and data-journalism that uncovers hidden truths about our society. That drive and determination is now going to lots of different publications… so watch this space as embark on this next phase of my career.
Obligatory book plug
Oh my gosh, the launch tickets are on sale…
The Bristol launch will be on 7 June in the Glass Room at St George’s, and is hosted by the lovely people at Bristol Ideas.
And if that was not enough, on the 12 June I’ll be in conversation with Paul Mason and Nick Lowles, on a panel chaired by Prof Madhu Krishnan, about how journalism can defeat fascism. That will be at Bristol Waterstone’s.
What I’m writing
Part of the reason I wanted to send my SubStack today and not on the usual Saturday is because today I made my debut in the Observer, reporting on the rates of police officers facing disciplinary action for inappropriate sexual relationships and contact. I wanted to share it with you, and seeing as it’s a Sunday paper, that meant waiting for today.
Starting my freelancing career as I mean to go on…
For the Observer…
Dozens of UK police officers disciplined over sexual contact with crime victims and witnesses
For Byline Times…
I wrote about a new report into the overlaps between domestic violence and image-based abuse.
I analysed 100s of far-right Telegram posts to reveal how the riots at a hotel in Knowsley were not a one-off, and how targeting hotels has been a key tactic of the far right in recent years.
I reported on an open letter from racial equality groups about the need to consider systemic racism in the Covid-19 inquiry.
I spoke to migrant people and rights activists about the impact of the 10-year route on people’s lives.
And I got involved in the lockdown files, focusing on Hancock and Williamson’s unpleasantness about teachers and unions.
What I loved
The investigation this week that I loved was the harrowing report in the New York Times by Hannah Dreier into child labour exploitation of migrant children.
What I’m reading
I finished Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe and it was absolutely fascinating if horrifying.
I also read Time to Think by Hannah Barnes. Very much on a ‘journalism books’ tip right now.
Agatha Christie binge this week was The ABC Murders which I enjoyed; also finished Prep by Curtis Sittenfield (why do characters in posh US schools and universities always have names that are adjectives or nouns?). I binged The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley yesterday. It was good fun. Such a twist!
What I’m watching
I finished my rewatch of Modern Family. Bereft!
Watching The Dropout which is good isn’t it? The whole Theranos scandal sort of passed me by, partly because whenever I saw it on Twitter or on the news, I thought people were talking about the baddy in the Marvel movies and so I would zone out of those conversations. Turns out that is THANOS. A different kind of baddy.
That’s it from me today! Thank you for indulging me on this personal news announcement. Next week I might write this a day early as I have weekend plans. In the meantime, wish me luck on my first week in my newly shaped worklife!
Ciao ciao.
Congratulations on the change.