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

Oh yes I read a whine from Jonathan Miller's son once. The " serious" newspapers are full of this twaddle.

Journalism, acting, politics - the nepotism is strong in all of them.

Once unpaid internships are BANNED
and ALL jobs in the meejah have to pay the London living wage
then normal people will have a chance at them again.

Unpaid internships are nasty things that stop social mobility in its tracks

I also got suckered into buying the worst book ever when I was a student (a relatively poor one!) after reading a glowing review of it by another author. Years later I found out they are part of the same friendship circle. And yes I know I was naive but hey I'd been brought up honest.

It's hucksterism.

Claudia Winkelman.

I'm waiting for Jonathan Ross's kids to start appearing on telly, it can only be a matter of time.

I had to give up completely on my dream of being a journalist because I found it a completely closed shop. I didn't have connections. I feel sad about it but I think I probably ended up in a more stable, better earning job, so possibly it was all for the best.

"With the medics it is - medics kids know the system for getting through the med school exams and getting placements (with connections)."

Bollux Deluxe.
The UKCAT wasn't even introduced until 2006. How many qualified medics had to pass it & are now shepherding their teen offspring thru it? BMAT is even younger.

If you think we're impressed at interview by "great" placements; you're wrong. Among the work experiences that most impress me are the kids who worked supply HCA for a year. Yet almost anybody could do that. No special connections required.

Olyimpisns who’s parents were Olympian’s is the same. They know the coaches and the system.
I think children following in family footsteps is commonplace and personal knowledge as to the hours stresses responsibility etc gives them an advantage.

Columnists and journalists are two completely different things.
Columnists are more commonly picked for who they are, journalists have to prove they have ability.

journalists have to prove they have ability.
To work for free .....
ie rich

An industry like journalism is always going to be solely the preserve of the wealthy. You can’t get the jobs without experience, you can’t get experience without doing an unpaid internship, you can’t afford to work for free unless you’ve got rich parents to subsidise you. Unless you’ve already got a connection, in which case you can bypass all those annoying formalities and just walk into a job as Contributing Editor at Tatler, like Anais Gallagher did.
(by the way, Haworthia, you think she’s beautiful? Really??)

I used to work for a very small privately owned investment firm which was owned by a chap who was fairly well known in the industry. When his daughter graduated from Exeter with a degree in archaeology and no experience, she wrote a bunch of letters to other privately owned investment firms which began with the words “My father, Dad’s Name”...

She walked straight into a £35k role. God knows how much she’s earning now.

On the plus side, mediocre people in high roles makes the actual-good people stand out more.

For example, when I look at today's models, it is very obvious which are there on nepotism and which are there on good looks and hard work alone...

For example, when I look at today's models, it is very obvious which are there on nepotism and which are there on good looks and hard work alone...
Yup, the hard working ones get less pictures in mags and lower fees

Bryony Gordon.

And why is Anais Gallagher a model?

Brooklyn Beckham and his photography "career"

The new bunch of c'lebs kids, have all had a private education, but I'm struggling to think of any that have gone on to university, straight on to the catwalk or a modelling campaign.

what like the Jaggers
and the Richards'
and Miss Kerber
and the Jenners

And the Hadids
And the Gallaghers
And the Laws
And Miss Depp
And the Beckhams
etc etc etc

Contributing Editor???

@Ta1kinpeace that would only help poorer people who lived in London and can live with parents as rents in London, even for rooms in shared houses, are just too high.

I'm also aware some meedja roles require you to have a driving licence and be able to hire cars at the drop of a hat to go to a random studio in the home counties. Poorer young people in London don't tend to bother to get a licence until they are older.

There are huge problems with nepotism in the industry, and with low wages and unpaid internships, and all those things need to change. But it is possible to claw your way in with no connections - I did. I’m from a working class background, I was a complete nobody when I first arrived in London and my wage in a PR internship only just covered my rent and living costs. But I pestered editors like hell until they took notice of me (might also have stolen the database of their emails from the PR firm when I left that job on very bad terms). I got on twitter and joined in their conversations until my name became recognisable because I kept popping up. I emailed editors and asked for work, it paid off. But I do agree it’s a clique, I’m certainly not part of that side of it because compared to those with connections I’m still a nobody really

(by the way, Haworthia, you think she’s beautiful? Really??)

Ok, let me rephrase. My only memory of Anais Gallagher was a baby photo where she looked exactly like her dad - and quite a lot like Les Dawson.

So, many years later, when I heard she was a model I thought “WTF?” but was pleasantly surprised to see she was quite beautiful despite the resemblance to her father.

You’ll note I said she’s only a model because of her father, not her looks. She’s pretty but not THAT pretty.

Lennon Gallagher, on the other hand, just looks stoned out of his mind...

Ha that Emily Clarkson piece makes sense now! I thought it was really poorly written.