James Brindle spent nearly 20 years as a journalist before taking the helm at one of the UK's oldest charities. In this episode, the CEO of the Journalists' Charity joins Tim and Piers to unpack an extraordinary history, one that starts with Charles Dickens in 1864 and now carries the patronage of Queen Camilla. From financial hardship to online abuse, James explains what modern journalism support really looks like.
In this episode...
- The Journalists' Charity was founded in 1864 by Charles Dickens, who served as its first chairman, with a royal charter granted by Queen Victoria in 1890
- James Brindle's journey from nearly two decades in broadcast journalism, including setting up television channels, to becoming a charity CEO
- The realities driving journalists to seek support, from freelance financial instability and redundancy to rising online abuse and mental health pressure
- How the charity's "Lockdown Without Journalism" campaign during COVID reconnected the public with the value of the profession and drove tens of thousands of pounds in donations
- The newly launched Queen Camilla Future of Journalism Awards, offering cash support, mentoring and recognition to journalists starting their careers
- Why pride and the word "charity" itself can be a barrier to journalists asking for help, and how the sector is working to change that
Guest links
- The Journalists' Charity: https://journalistscharity.org.uk/
- James Brindle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesbrindleceo/
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