Nika Talbot

👻 Hiya, happy Halloween! Hope you’re all set for fright night? Thought it was time for a reintroduction so I’ve written this post - the story behind the Shift and what I’m building online. On the Wild West of freelancing, my 25+ year career, the rise of creator journalism—and choosing yourself. Just reading ’s post on why Labour MPs are still craving a compelling story from Starmer. Feeling frustrated that he’s not found a way to land his message.

I went to the Future of Media Technology Conference yesterday, a one-day masterclass for media leaders on how to thrive in the digital age. It’s a big day in the media calendar, so I was keen to go, but a heavy AI agenda this year - not sure I can handle more on AI as a threat and an opportunity for publishers. But it’s where the money is, and we’re trying to make sense of it all. I like to see what creators can learn from corporate strategy – and vice versa.

Hiya. Happy New Year – I’m shuffling into September. We just got back from York. Julieta had a uni induction thingy, so I booked us into a nice hotel. It’s years since I’ve been to York, and I wanted to see what it’s like now. She got her first choice – I’m so pleased for her. And she got the same grades as me – how cool is that!? It went ok – the girls were cool, the boys were weird, telling bad jokes. Everybody had a Northern accent. The wet room was disgusting, water everywhere.