James Barton, UK-based Editor at Developing Telecoms joins us as our special guest this week on the ConnectThe2 podcast. James has more than ten years of experience covering telecom in emerging markets. He started his journalism career at a local newspaper in Cambodia, which influenced his writing style greatly. In our discussion with James, we learn about his appreciation for music, the Italian language and sustainability in 5G technology.
If you like what you’re reading be sure to listen to the whole episode linked at the bottom of this page.
First paid journalism job… James’ first paid journalism job was a short-term role at a newspaper called the Phnom Penh Post in Cambodia. The Post was an institution in Cambodia, and James noted that his experience working there ultimately sparked his interest in writing about emerging markets.
“My boss was this fantastic old Asia hand. He’s someone whose been out there for years. He was American actually, but clearly, he was in that part of the world for a long time. He had this world-weary cynicism about him. He was about brevity and getting to the point, and he taught me how to structure articles and self-edit a lot. Working there was an eye-opener for sure. I think being in a developing country made me see how much technology can help people there.”
Building relationships… James likes it when a pitch is short and to the point. He noted that he often receives pitches about social media marketing tools and other irrelevant technology, so he appreciates it when he can tell a PR specialist has done their research. PR folks, make sure to stay on track with the topic presented and apply it to how it relates to his field.
“You have to build that relationship up with the journalist, and that’s when you get the pitches you do like. I’m not demanding tailored pitches, but I do think people should do their homework.”
Noel Fielding’s impact on his life… James speaks on how he was obsessed with Noel Fielding and his comedy shows called “The Mighty Boosh.” You’ll have to listen in for the connection between how James was inspired by Noel Fielding to drink Baileys Irish Cream out of a shoe in the back of a club years ago. Character impressions are also a part of this episode, and you truly need to hear James’ impression of a Noel Fielding character.
More fun and games… If you like what you’ve read so far, you’ll really enjoy the game section of this episode when we put James’ rock music lyric knowledge to the test. We hear more about James’ band in this segment, too, as James goes into detail on his band’s lyrics. Finally, we wrap things up with a game Rapid Fire. Listen in to find out which celebrity James would rather spend his time with.
Hear more... If you've enjoyed these takeaways be sure to listen to our full interview, linked below. Also, be sure to list to, rate and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, iHeartRadio or Soundcloud.