Nichi Hodgson
Verified
(She/Her)
London
As seen in:
BBC,
Sky News,
TalkTV,
BBC Sounds,
Business Insider,
Daily Mail,
The Guardian,
The Telegraph,
Daily Express,
Metro (UK),
NBC News,
Broadly,
Cosmopolitan (UK)
and
Covers:
General news/current affairs, politics, technology ethics, law, parenting, feminism, gender, mental health
Doesn't Cover:
Banking/finance
Broadcaster: bit.ly/3WGWv3O Author: bit.ly/historyofdating Journalist: muckrack.com/nichi-hodgson & @alsofestival co-curator
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Copytaker for PA in Leeds
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Oh yes, I learned to type in a typewriter as my mum was actually a typing teacher at one point! It was electronic - I'm not THAT old!
How is social media changing news?
For the better, allowing more people to engage with it that wouldn't have traditionally. For the worse, driving us to more sensationalism.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
William Boot, in Evelyn Waugh's Scoop
What does it mean to be a journalist?
It depends on the kind of journalist you are, but, essentially, enormous freedom to speak truth to power.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
There's a good parody of the
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Email please - nichikatehodgson@gmail.com
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Just Microsoft Word / Google cloud, and a laptop. SEO bits. Google analytics. Voice recorder on my phone. All very basic!
What's your favorite social network?
Instagram
Who do you wish followed you?
Kay Burley
Why did you become a journalist?
I loved words and people, and wanted to do something that combined the two, plus allowed my spider-mind to keep learning.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
I worked for my uni newspaper. I wrote an appalling Pseud's Corner piece about how a Britney concert was like Milton's Paradise Lost...
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
My investigation into psychosis and surveillance capitalism for Tortoise Media.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Write, speak or produce wherever you can. Don't doubt your instincts. Don't let older more established ppl tell you you aren't good enough.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Tues to Thurs 8-12pm
What's the best pitch you ever got?
Anyone inviting me on a sun-soaked press trip...kidding... the ones where vulnerable people were willing to whistle-blow to protect others.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Probably a PR pitch inviting me to a golf tournament. Absolutely not in my wheelhouse!
What's your favorite drink?
If someone else is buying, blanc de blanc cuvee tradition brut. If I'm buying, a NZ sauvignon blanc.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
With my baby daughter, mini dachshund, and husband - or having a rare singing lesson! The ultimate endorphin-pumping stress-buster.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Guardian
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That we know far more about the machinations of politicians than we do (at least not until we investigate!)
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.