By Captions; lower-thirds; banners; whatever you want to call them, news captions are as vital to broadcast journalism as an actual interview. But what about when things go wrong or, rather, hilariously right? We’ve hunted down some of the best jokes, blunders, and cheeky digs that caption writers have managed to sneak onto our screens in the last 12 months.
By China’s expelled foreign journalists
XCityPlus spoke to Chris Buckley and Amy Qin about their expulsion from China and being a correspondent in offshore.
Gotcha! Seven TV moments when journalists called out their interviewees
Who doesn’t love a good ‘gotcha’ question? Sophie Laughton shares the top moments when journalists called out their interviewees.
By Travel journalists minus travel: Reflecting on the pandemic
Many of us clung to memories of travel to escape the daily monotony of the lockdown. But what about the benched travel writers who rely on the exploration of remote destinations to make a living? How have they persevered and pivoted through the lockdown without much to write about?
By Journalists are a dog’s best friend, but which pet belongs to which hack?
Here, six journalists give clues as to which four-legged friend is theirs. So, take the quiz and see if you guess correctly while checking out some adorable dog photos.
By A piece of Diyora’s mind: Video series
For the third instalment of the series, we’re hearing from Diyora Shadijanova, opinion and personal essays editor at gal-dem and freelance journalist for publications like Cosmopolitan and the Independent. She tells us about learning to grow confidence as a journalist, and her piece that got given a shout-out at a protest!
By Journalists’ tales of self-doubt and success
Everyone experiences self-doubt – or as it is often now known: imposter syndrome. The psychological condition affects 70 per cent of the population, and it isn’t limited to people entering a new profession or starting university – it can affect even the most seasoned of professionals.
XCityPlus spoke to three journalists to find out about their experiences with imposter syndrome, and moments in which they overcame it.
By Second name on XCity Award shortlist announced: Mary Fitzgerald
The outgoing editor of openDemocracy has been shortlisted for the XCity Award for her work in holding the government to account through its interrogation of social and political issues.
By Stay-at-home cinema: Film critics reveal the cinema set-ups that got them through lockdown
Attendance at British cinemas in 2020 was 75 per cent down on the 176m admissions in 2019. Among those unable to attend due to the pandemic were film critics. Four of the UK’s leading film critics reveal to XCityPlus the home cinema set-up that’s got them through lockdown and what they miss about the silver screen.
Inside XCity Podcast: Episode 5
Today, Jake Helm and Nicola Blackburn are joined by Bea Tridimas and Sophie Ward, chatting all about OCD and journalism, and a City lecturer who was caught up in the Beirut Blast last August.
By A toolkit for journalists writing about trans activism
As our newsrooms continue to broaden and diversify, it’s important to ensure journalists stay as informed as they can be. Over the past few years, trans people have experienced a historic groundswell in media visibility: from celebrities like Caitlyn Jenner, Laverne Cox and Elliot Page on glossy magazine covers, to TV shows like Transparent and Pose.
City’s Jane Martinson nominated for journalist of the year
The awards recognise outstanding achievement in the fields of business, economic and financial journalism in the UK. Professor Martinson has previously judged the awards but stepped down from the judges panel this year after being nominated for her Tortoise long-read Barclay v Barclay.
