Reflections on 2025
As it's my last full blog before Christmas, I thought I'd share some reflections on the year just gone:
Career-wise, 2025 has been my most successful year. I have produced what I consider to be some of my most impactful journalism and I've also firmly established myself as a celebrity interviewer (hello Sir Andy Murray and Belinda Carlisle), which is a segue I didn't see coming but one I’ve loved. Not only have they been fun to do, but the pieces have helped fill a hole in between my usual sustainability-focused pieces which can take weeks to months to work on but pay the same amount.
At the same time, like many freelance journalists will no doubt say, it’s been an absolute struggle. The last two financial years have been dire. Like many journalists have posted about (former Empire editor Terri White among them), it’s hard to continue to make a living from journalism alone. It's sad to see so many incredible journalists face such hardship and ultimately see less of their work.
I can't reflect on 2o25 without mentioning AI. Personally, it's not a tool I've properly investing in yet (I can't help but think of the activists I interviewed in Mexico who are fighting against the continued building of data centres in their local area and the energy and water it takes from such communities) but it's continuing to shake up the industry. Earlier this year I reported on the damaging impact of AI Google Overviews on publishers and just this week Forbes was reported to be axing some of its contributors due to decimating traffic to its site. Journalists repeatedly report of receiving pitches, thought leadership pieces and other content that is obviously AI written (aka pretty soulless). We're also seeing fake AI case studies and experts land in our inbox, making our work even harder but also raising the importance of being thorough and accurate (but as more cuts occur at publishing outlets, this is only bound to happen more frequently). Press Gazette, which has raised its game this year, recently highlighted yet another example of doubtful experts.
All of which makes it more imperative to build stronger relationships with PRs and the experts that we're quoting. I definitely know which ones I can trust (having built relationships online and in-person over the years) so it makes being more established and working at a reputable/well-known business/PR agency more of a game-changer. Journalists will be spending more time verifying you/your client - and checking that you're a real person (honestly, saying this wasn't on my bingo card for 2025 but here we are). On LinkedIn one travel editor recently said she wanted more meetings (in-person and online) with PRs in order to build trust. After editors were caught publishing fake stories from a so-called journalist, one national editor told me it’s making him lean more on more established journalists (which is a shame for those starting out/with fewer online credentials).