How to avoid Guardian-style IT collapse | Dan Neidle interview
And how Business Insider grew from seven people to a 70-strong London newsroom in a decade
Welcome to this week’s Future of Media newsletter from Press Gazette on 18 January 2024, brought to you this week in association with Bauer Academy. Future-proof your career and discover the latest trends in journalism with their Solutions Journalism day course delivered by Head of Journalism Andrew Greaves.
In Leave the World Behind, the hit film released on Netflix last year, civilisation collapses in a matter of days after a cyberattack takes out all online technology in the USA. A fate not too dissimilar to this, albeit on a rather smaller scale, befell Guardian News and Media in December 2022 when parts of its technology infrastructure were hit by a ransomware attack.
Alarmingly, this was far from an isolated incident. News publishers are among the most popular targets for hackers, and the most vulnerable. We’ve investigated how widespread this problem is for the news industry and found out how publishers can help protect themselves from cyber annihilation.
We also have an interview with Dan Neidle, the tax lawyer who picked up one of the most prestigious prizes in UK journalism just before Christmas for his investigation into the business affairs of former UK Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi.
I found out what other journalists can learn from Neidle’s methods, what he makes of Baroness Michelle Mone’s personal attacks on him and why mainstream investigative journalists were integral to the success of his Zahawi reporting.
And we also highlight a rare example of a digitally-native US publisher that has stayed the course and not just survived but thrived in the UK.
Business Insider’s UK bureau chief and business executive editor Spriha Srivastava and deputy executive editor Shona Ghosh explain how the brand has grown from seven to 70 London journalists in the space of a decade.
New from Press Gazette
Dan Neidle: From tax lawyer to journalism superhero
“If you’re going to have an enemy, having one this useless is probably a good outcome.”
How publishers should respond to a deluge of news industry cyberattacks
The news is not just a major target for hacking - it's unusually vulnerable to it, too.
Business Insider: From seven to 70-strong London newsroom in a decade
Business Insider UK bureau chief and deputy executive editor say brand has got more creative and mature.
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Our latest podcast
Podcast 63: Political reporting in an election year with Chris Hope and Gloria De Piero
In the latest episode, Press Gazette editor-in-chief Dominic Ponsford met GB News presenting duo Gloria De Piero and Christopher Hope. They spoke about their new weekly show, PMQs Live, the future of political reporting in an election year and why they think GB News is striking a chord with viewers by offering them more of what they want.
Must-reads this week from Press Gazette you might have missed
Post Office IT scandal underlines need for a reset in corporate communications
Reach boosted by Prince Harry trial result and end of pension deficit says CEO
While New York Times litigates over AI, many media companies will liquidate – US Congress warned
Telegraph in limbo: Latest on saga involving George Osborne, National Crime Agency and Ofcom
Iliffe Media revenue falls 11% but paywalls offer new income stream
Mirror editor-in-chief Alison Phillips steps down after six years
How publishers can buck the trend of declining online advertising spend
