Kate Andrews

Today, I published my 25th article with A Young(ish) Persepective (23 reviews, 1 interview and 1 opinion piece). It has been a privilege to be trusted with delivering my verdict at press nights, and wild to see some of my quotes popping up on posters and in Instagram adverts. Here are 6 things I have learned since starting in November: 1. The first draft of any writing is always terrible. All that matters is getting it onto the page. Subsequent drafts are for making it good. 2. If you're going to deny a show the top rating, you must be able to articulate how it could be better. If not, even if the production wasn't to your taste it probably deserves it. 3. High (but realistic) expectations are important - nobody can trust a reviewer who rates everything 5*, or who never gives out 5*. 4. A good director elevates a mediocre script, and weak direction dampens a brilliant one. 5. Emotionally, it's harder than expected to negatively review a show. This is particularly true for stand-up, monologues and writer/performer combinations. (But it's vital to be honest in spite of this, so the audience know what they're going into and the show receives genuine feedback). 6. Most shows only change by half a star rating after their first 15 minutes. How you feel at that point it likely how you will feel all the way through. https://lnkd.in/eg7zZyue

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Thanks to John Johnston for the POLITICO Europe London Influence story on the training gap between white PR Professionals and those from BME backgrounds. The Chartered Institute of Public Relations State of the Profession survey showed that white practitioners are: - more likely to have received training in the previous 12 months (81% vs. 74%) - are more likely to have agreed training needs with managers - and are less likely to have had requests for training turned down (36% vs. 47%).   This represents statistically significant gap in the training experiences and opportunities of UK BME PR professionals compared to their white colleagues. Not only is training vital for an individual’s progression, and internal profile, as it can shape how an employer views their ability and seniority, lack of access can impact overall achievements as well as retention - a key point brought up by Matthew Otubu. And based on previous research and people's lived experience, it’s also a red flag for other missed work opportunities and unspoken barriers to fairness and inclusion. Sadly the training gap is not surprising but it is unacceptable and, in an age of skills shortages, inexcusable. #PR #Comms #DiversityandInclusion #Training https://lnkd.in/eCZypZM8

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One of the most common questions I get from candidates in job interviews is what it's like to work for a company where the entire team is remote. As we're looking for new team members to join us, allow me to answer that question. Working remotely can be incredibly freeing; it means you're not tied to living in big cities where the rent is extortionate (I'm still in London, because I like to torture myself), nor do you have to spend money on rail cards, the Tube or buses. On the flipside, working from home can be isolating. It's just the nature of the situation. This is why it's so important for companies to keep staff engaged, and I'd like to think that we do that at JP. Through trial and error, we've found our groove. There was the dreaded Zoom quiz (I think the team will all agree it wasn't a winner) but there's also the annual JamFest – where our editors Ben Nicholls and Jody Knowles invite us to Cornwall to hang out on the beach, have dinners and drinks, and 'work'. Mind you, I once swam out a bit too far and had to be rescued by a hunky lifeguard but that one's on me... We do team meetings on Zoom just to say hi. We have a Slack channel that acts as a water cooler, where writers can chat about whatever they like (they share a lot of pet photos – I can't complain). We offer trainings, call them weekly and try to be available as much as possible. I can't speak for my team but I can say that from what I've seen in the past four years, they all appear to get on pretty well – which is a rarity in many physical offices. Working from home is about mutual respect and trust – and I trust my team. Yeah, we make bad jokes. We send gifs. We have an infamous Friday Question that the brilliant Lee from the World Team drops in the afternoon. This year's JamFest is happening after summer. I've (understandably so) been banned from ordering shots. I am fairly certain there will be some karaoke (we love that mic far too much) and I know we'll have a good time. So yeah, we're not in an office. All that means is that we make extra effort to create our own version of one. Enough from me... we've got jobs going. If you're looking for a change, give us a shout.

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People Want real Change - Sunak v Starmer: Green groups call on broadcasters to ensure climate change features in TV debates: https://lnkd.in/eqxDwp3N #elections #UK #UKelections #TVdebates #climatechange

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When it comes to assessing the risks involved in publishing an article, key considerations include whocould sue you and for what. Keeping a mental list of which bodies are able to sue in defamation is therefore good practice for editors and journalists alike. An individual, a corporate body and a partnership are all capable of suing in defamation. Organs of government – such as a police force or local council – cannot.But what about the various grey areas in between?Well, following the recent case of Prospect v Andrew Evans in the High Court, ‘trade unions’ may now be added to the list of entities which can sue for libel.  My first media law column for Jaffa Law:  https://lnkd.in/eFXNmXdH

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RECOMMENDATIONS // 8 UK podcasts about politics and current affairs As the UK goes to the polls this Thursday in a round of local elections, we’re recommending some politics and current affairs podcasts to keep you plugged into the political goings-on. READ NOW: https://lnkd.in/eckH2NAt #podcast #podcasting #podlife #podernfamily #politics #politicspodcast #politicalpodcast

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The impacts of the strengthening blizzard of noise/misinformation mean corporate decision makers are increasingly reliant on trusted sources to inform their future direction. Day in day out the FT delivers a level of accuracy that meets this requirement.

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you know what to do

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Congratulations to all the nominees at this year's British Podcast Awards. There are undoubtedly some interesting shows in the mix, and I hope that they use the nomination as a big professional springboard. But... By my - back of a fag packet, admittedly - calculations, 30% of this year’s nominees at the British Podcast Awards were produced or distributed by the BBC (48 of 162 show nominations). A single publisher representing almost a third of nominations is monolithic, and this is without most of its radio shows which are repackaged as podcasts. That's a massive bloc for most creators to compete with, and that's before even thinking about what Global, Sony, Amazon etc are doing in the marketplace (spoiler alert: taking up a lot of the remaining 114 nominations). The awards are under no obligation to recognise creative diversity. I wouldn't want them to patronise smaller podcasters or networks. And it's hard to know whether the homogeneity of the list is a product of jurors lack of omnivorous consumption, or the fact that independent publishers are not submitting to the awards (possibly a function of the very steep increase in the costs). There are some omissions from this list that are so glaring that I have to assume that the shows/companies didn't submit for consideration. Maybe I'm being too jaded. Full disclosure: Podot only submitted one show this year, and it wasn't nominated (we submitted into the Wellbeing category, which is a bad fit anyway). But inevitably the British Podcast Awards will come to represent a Best in Class list of UK podcasting, especially for those outside the narrow industry walls. I have to say, I look at some of those categories and I struggle – as a critic and consumer, rather than creator – to believe that these shows really represent the best of the business.

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Journalism needs a shift. It’s not a comfortable proposition for journalists, but we need to talk more about the work we do, how we do it, and why we do it. It’s no longer a self-evident truism that the value of good journalism is so intrinsic in our day-to-day work that it comes through consistently to the public and our community. It can be done in many ways. From being open about how we can always do better, to opening up the bonnet of the car, exposing our engine, and explaining how stories are put together. Here at The Straits Times we’re proud of many things, and one of them is the team led by Rod Pazos that puts together our many groundbreaking digital interactives and explainers. And this is a team that’s also opening itself up, putting our technical know-how out there to be shared. For those in the field, this is their website and how they do what they do: https://lnkd.in/gjbybHCa Feel free to look around our ST News Lab, get in touch and tell us what you think. One of the projects that the team has delved into, in explaining how it was put together is our recent interactive explaining the technique of our Olympian kitefoiler Max Maeder. It had some awesome 3D elements, and it’s well worth diving into. https://lnkd.in/gJT7afGT Over time, our newsroom will increasingly talk more about our stories in various ways, big and small. Look out for it, and maybe, even look out for an invitation!

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With the UK General Election taking place this week, we've put all our analysis and in-depth coverage of what we can expect - and what the industry wants to see - from a new government in one place. Just head to our homepage, and take a read of our range of articles, including a 'charter' of the key things that any new approach to #PPP will require, what the first priorities should be on #infrastructure, and a podcast where we discuss the parties' manifestos. Here's our top story on the issue: https://lnkd.in/ehGpVjK6

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Love this piece from the excellent Seth Lazar on summarisation in the context of government and democracy. A huge amount of it is relevant to other contexts where accuracy and nuance matter. "Next time you’re considering buying something from Amazon, have a quick look at the AI-generated summary of the reviews. It basically just states the obvious. If you really want to know whether the product is worth buying, you have to look at the one-star reviews (and filter out the ones complaining that they had a bad day when their parcel was delivered)."

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Tons of insight here into #newsletter strategy from Jon Connell of The Knowledge, including how trying to overdeliver can end up putting audiences off. Crucially though, I think the key takeaway is that even with a history of successful product launches in legacy media behind them, the Knowledge team is approaching a newsletter business with an experimental mindset https://lnkd.in/edeUkBVR #newsletters #mediabusiness #podcasts

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'But the big question is: do these altruistic “pay what you can” models actually work for performing arts companies? To what extent do they boost companies’ audience reach and their bottom lines?' A great piece by my ArtsHub friend and colleague, Jo Pickup, exploring the question of whether now is the time to explore new ticketing models in light of the financial pressures facing so many Australians. https://lnkd.in/grpzMz2s

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- I've written a pretty long thread on Bluesky (and 'the other place') on why I think this suggested idea of banning polls in UK for a period during election campaigns is the wrong solution. The problem is less the polling (which has its pros and cons, and does need some reflection next year) and I think more the changes to and between polling orgs, journalism and political campaigns. - For polling orgs, there are far more of them now than ever before. The barrier to entry is lower (which is broadly good), but it's led to oversaturation, some poor research and rushed comms. - For media, there are simply too few journalists with not enough time, and many of whom don't have training or support to sift through research properly. Editorial decision making is often trumping good research as a consequence. - For campaigns, they've becoming increasingly risk-averse and safe, leaving a vacuum for others to fill. They also use polls selectively based on when it suits their narrative. All of this together means a political media environment with what felt like an over-abundance of polls which didn't feel like they made sense and which drowned out other news. It's not just as simple as 'banning polls' for a bit (because the supply and the demand will still be there). Tim Ross

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Prime Minister Rishi Sunak addressing the Society of Editors conference this morning: “As long as British media continues to thrive, so will British democracy.” As the conference themes outline, surviving let alone thriving is an increasing challenge for the news industry, whether it’s reaching new audiences, tackling mis- & disinformation, managing the opportunities & threats posed by AI or ensuring the industry supports the next generation of journalists from a range of backgrounds… A day of deep discussion on the future of news #SoEconf @EditorsUK

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Had a fantastic meeting with Christopher Smith last week which led to me doing a deep-dive into NotebookLM for a story. He also showed me how he used NotebookLM (and some other AI tools) to create a very realistic looking podcast episode which inspired me to give it a god for our Weekly Roundup series last week. Our entire episode was scripted with #NotebookLM and it only took one prompt and almost no tweaks. This journalist is very impressed. Give it a watch or listen if you are interested! #google #genai #podcast #ai

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