Jack Silver
(He/Him)
As seen in:
Bailiwick Express,
Medium,
MSN,
MSN Ireland,
MSN Malaysia,
MSN Singapore,
Yahoo Entertainment,
Yahoo Life,
BBC,
BBC News,
Yahoo Canada
and
Covers:
Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney, Sark, Herm or topics relating to them.
I'll occasionally cover original stories / scoops wide afield or theatre / tech - but no pressers.
Award-winning 🎥🎭 writer & director. Pointless champion—Offie winner—Part Leprechaun 🍀Pirate ancestry 🏴☠️ #Neurodivergent 🧠 #LongCOVID. Obsessed with teal.
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
I interned at The Times in London during my first summer of university.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes, though not professionally. My mum was a secretary who retrained as a teacher and had one.
How is social media changing news?
It's changing debate and meaning people live in echo chambers.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Andy Sachs from The Devil Wears Prada.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
It means you can amplify other people's voices and stand up for people who need a voice and challenge people who need holding to account.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Drop me an email. If you know me then text me/ WhatsApp or DM me on Insta or Facebook.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
I love my iPad Air and GoodNotes. Word, or Optimo (BBC's CMS) / Wordpress. An iPhone. A Mac. A mic. A 15 year old cheap Canon DSLR.
What's your favorite social network?
I spend most time on Facebook.
Who do you wish followed you?
Why did you become a journalist?
I have ADHD, a strong sense of injustice and I love writing. I wanted to tell other people's stories with truth, trust and boldness.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
No, we didn't have one.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
I wrote an article (also TV and radio packages) on a rough sleeper in Guernsey. It changed government policy and got the guy a room in a flat
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Radiate trust. Trust is earned, but it is also radiated. Be someone people trust - whether that's colleagues, sources or contributors.
When's the best time to pitch you?
August or December. Those quiet periods give you a WAY better chance of getting your story covered.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
A tip off that US overseas voters were having their votes challenged https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clyvlywz3n0o
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Probably some random press release about gold mining or cryptocurrency in a country I don't live anywhere near or report in.
What's your favorite drink?
Piña Colada.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
On my eMTN bike or watching a movie or TV show.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
The Stage.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That nothing happens because it's a small island.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.