To be surprised about the amount of nepotism in Journalism

[AndromedaPerseus]

Today I read an article in the Sunday Times by Emily Clarkson (Jeremy’s dd who has also written for ST in the past) urging kids not to worry if you don’t get your Alevels to go to university. Obviously when you’re the dd of a multimillionaire with huge amount of connections then you needn’t be too concerned

Then there is a new ST columnist Flora Gill who just happen to be the dd of AA Gill and Amber Rudd. Just for the record Flora seems to have replace Scarlet Curtis who had a regular ST column for the past year and she happens to be the dd of Richard Curtis and Emma Freud.

Having read their musings Flora is the best of the bunch but not outstanding whereas Emily’s writing is the standard of a grade B GCSE student and I had no idea what Scarlet was talking about most of the time.

AIBU to think the upper echelons of journalism is still a career only opened to the well connected and not necessary the most talented

Could be said of a lot of industries. I’ve worked for various companies where the mediocre son/daughter of a director lands a high up role that they wouldn’t have even been considered for without a family connection. Not that it is right but I think it isn’t uncommon.

Its v entertaining playing nepotism bingo. Print media wins, just about, over tv and film. Freuds (Curtis) now 4th generation I think, 2 Corens, 2nd generation, I'm sure I've spotted a Lee-Potter, 2nd generation, others I cant call to mind just now. Never fail to be amazed by how much raw talent is distributed through such a small gene pool. We're very lucky.

Yes, it’s the same in most media - a lot of people work hard but there are plenty who had a helping hand. ‘It’s who you know etc’

Aa Gill and Amber rudd were together

The thing is though, that it does put the dc in the position that no matter how talented they are or how highly qualified, they will always be tarred with the nepotism brush.

My favourite is that former Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger (who was there for about 20 years) gave his daughter Bella a job at the paper but under her mother's maiden name so readers wouldn't realise she was his daughter.

Most of the senior staff at The Guardian had parents who worked at the BBC and parachuted them in, including Seamus Milne, whose dad was former Director General.

I remember Peaches Geldof getting some high profile magazine editor job in NYC when she was about 19. And having checked Wikipedia, it seems she had a Telegraph column from the age of 14.

Modelling is another very nepotistic career. I’m pretty sure no models are scouted on the street anymore, they’re all celebrity offspring.

Oh! Well, it's a pretty normal thing to do isn't it? You just don't notice so much when it's your local mechanic, IT expert, dance instructor, etc.

Same as anything else that hits a wider public eye, you notice it more than you do in 'normal' life.

I've worked in this industry and it doesn't surprise me at all. The colleague who sat next to me was very curious about how I'd managed to land my job (a combination of hard work and dumb luck). One day she casually dropped into conversation that she had once been nanny to the Editor's kids. The longer I stayed, the more "family friend of" and "niece of"s I'd discovered. Hence the curiosity about me, a complete outsider!

Modelling is a bloody obvious one... if one parent has a saleable look then offspring are likely to have the same body / face type... as well as knowledge of industry, people etc.

Same as dog breeding - successive litters will provide similarly attractive / prize winning pups.

I am surprised that you are surprised

do you think Jay Rayner would have got the gig without his mums help ?
etc ad infinitum ad nauseam

its all about who you know, not what you know

TBH most medics are the kids of medics
Many soldiers, sailors and aircrew are the kids of the same
Carpenters, plumbers, electricians tend to follow their parents

after all the names Smith, Taylor, Cooper, Miller etc describe the job the family did ....

Yes, that article by Emily Clarkson really annoyed me. She claims that not doing well enough in her A levels to get to uni is what she credits her success to.
Yeah the success to live at home in London and take an intern job with a high profile charity, cue the photos of her cuddling orphans in Africa and jolly fun photos during a European bike tour with another charity.

The vast majority of 18 year olds with no experience are unlikely to find themselves on a trip to Africa through volunteering at the local charity in the High Street.
She’s is very privileged, and her attitude really grates. Rant over

Modelling is a bloody obvious one... if one parent has a saleable look then offspring are likely to have the same body / face type..

Erm... unless you’re Jude Law’s son

Call it “obvious” if you want, but I for one am bloody surprised that the Gallagher brothers both produced model-worthy children - not to mention countless other 90s Britpop celebs

TBH most medics are the kids of medics
Many soldiers, sailors and aircrew are the kids of the same
Carpenters, plumbers, electricians tend to follow their parents

That's not even remotely the same, and you know it.

I for one am bloody surprised that the Gallagher brothers both produced model-worthy children Their mum's must have strong genes... I hadn't thought of them, or Jude Law, when I posted. Exception(s) to every rule, I suppose

Anais Gallagher looks astonishingly like her father, but has turned out quite beautiful. Lucky her.

She still wouldn’t be a model if she wasn’t rock ‘n’ roll offspring though.

emily clarkson true grit. Havent read it. Let me say tho that
I think Victoria Coren and Jay Rayner are worth whatever they get paid.

YABU if you think journalism is the only profession where nepotism is a thing. Like pps said it's there at all levels of business and career path , from son of business owner being appointed to managerial position straight out of highschool to unqualified daughter getting a job because dad is friendly with the boss somewhere else. We'd all take that leg up the ladder if we could, let's be honest here.

Biker47
With the medics it is - medics kids know the system for getting through the med school exams and getting placements (with connections).
Its why med school students have one of the highest private school percentages of any course - a medics can afford the fees.

longwayoff
Victoria Coren, Jay Rayner, and Giles Coren. All brilliant. I don't think I would like Giles Coren if I met him, but his letter to the subs at the Times for their subbing of his restaurant review still makes me laugh. (It's also why I think he's probably a bit of a self important twit.) www.theguardian.com/media/2008/jul/23/mediamonkey

Doesn't really bother me with the gossipy columns. However there really isn't much press / TV journalism scrutiny from the 4th estate when almost all journalists are related to politicians. Bothers me even more that these relationships are not openly acknowledged and disclosed in By-lines.

Nigella and Dominic Lawson .... nothing special but daddy's name opened doors

Dan Snow. Would he really have got as far as he has so quickly without a father and uncle on the telly too?

David & Jonathan Dimbleby, too, now I come to think of it.