Leaving town

Last Friday was my last day at the Times Higher offices (although the media fellowship continues at the British Science Festival next week – where the fun and games really start, apparently).

I seem to have made an okay impression on those at the Higher (at least judging from the emails that are still landing in my inbox asking me to write this or check that). So how about the dents, sorry, impressions left on me?

A few personal reflections on my time as a journalists’ apprentice:

1. I’m now MUCH more comfortable with the phone than I was before. Making my first few calls was a big deal for me – I missed the contextual clues from face to face interaction and its space for pauses that the phone lacks. I also missed the permanence of email and its way of forcing clarity. However, blower is king in the media, and my telephone manner is in much leaner shape now because of it.

2. The immediacy of short projects was great. Look - feedback the same day as I submitted something! (cf. months of waiting for academic reviewers to respond).

3. Surprisingly, I’m also now a fan of open plan offices. I could never love the hullaballoo of a sales office but the gentle buzz of the editorial office was stimulating. Quiet enough so’s you can still write, but also energising from other discussions and ideas going on around you. Need an expert on research councils? Don’t even phone, just ask around the office!

4. I loved the balance of teamwork and individualism. The weekly news meeting was a real highlight, where everyone pitched their ideas for the forthcoming edition – seeing how our work fitted together, and more immediate feedback.

But it’s not all one big love-in, of course...

I’m now way more wary of what is and isn’t on record. And what isn’t specified is definitely on-record.

I learned a pretty spiky lesson on using personal contacts as well. Don't even go there. They were my default choice at first since they’re quick and easy to contact, obliging and supply candid quotes, but the energy spent on checking their quotes and ensuring that you’re not going to jeopardise your relationship with them is disproportionate. On my last day I’d lined up three colleagues to speak to about remote working in academia but having seen how common it is for contributors to backtrack on their quotes, I didn't even want to start down that road. It’s a whole different game with strangers where I certainly cared less about any negative reaction they might have, but the fact is I don’t have the thick hide needed to print things that could have severe repercussions to people who’d contributed in good faith.

So remember kids, always speak to strangers.

I also missed the commitment to larger scale projects - the flip side of immediate feedback in the fact that you write something and - woosh - it's gone, never to be improved, deepened, matured and polished. I guess this is inevitable in two short weeks, and concurrent longer features would probably hit this button, but when you're used to gradually refining (no, I won't say perfecting..) projects in academia over months and years, this way of working just shouts slap, dash, and so long.