Cambridge also encourages you to think for yourself, to work independently, and be curious. A lot of journalism is about being curious and coming up with new angles.
Where will English take you? Journalism
Adam MacQueen, Private Eye journalist and alumnus, calls English the “classic degree of choice for all journalists everywhere”. It's certainly true that many English Faculty alumni have gone on to highly successful careers as journalists, often having taken advantage of the opportunity to write for Varsity, the independent newspaper for the University, along the way.
Reflecting on what his degree gave him, Nick Hallissey, an alumnus and Head of Content for Bauer Outdoor, says that 'Studying English at Downing developed my analytical and editorial skills immensely. I became a critical reader, a sceptic, a questioner – but also someone who rejoices in clearly expressed thought and elegant phrasing. I learned priceless skills of making an argument, building a persuasive narrative, selling someone an idea, giving the broadest perspective, finding and quoting sources.' Complementing this, Mary Hockaday, an alumna and controller of the BBC World Service until 2022, believes that 'one of the things that an English degree can give you if you read a lot, and read broadly, is all these windows on different worlds and different people in different ages' and that this gives 'a sense of the richness of humanity and life', which is invaluable in journalism.
Alumni Interviews
Read in-depth interviews with English Faculty alumni who have gone on to careers in journalism.
3 Alumni in Journalism
Sathnam Sanghera, journalist and author
Christ's College, 1995
Sathnam Sanghera was born to Punjabi parents in the West Midlands in 1976. He entered the education system unable to speak English but, after attending Wolverhampton Grammar School, graduated from Christ’s College, Cambridge with a first-class degree in English Language and Literature. The writing career that followed has seen him produce award-winning newspaper columns and features, a critically acclaimed memoir and novel, and bestselling works of history, for both adults and children. He offers advice about starting and sustaining a career in creative industries:
Clare Balding, broadcaster
Newnham College, 1990
Winner of the BAFTA Special Award and RTS Presenter of the Year Award for her expert coverage of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Clare Balding is one of Britain's leading broadcasters. She began her presenting career with BBC National Radio in 1994 and made her debut as a television presenter in 1995. She recalls that 'Getting into Cambridge was a struggle too; it didn’t happen the first time or the second. But I got in on my third application – that was a triumph of persistence and bloody-mindedness'. You can watch her talk about her time at Cambridge:
Emily Maitlis, journalist and broadcaster
Queens' College, 1989
Emily Maitlis is a journalist and news presenter. She notably presented the BBC flagship nightly current affairs show Newsnight, where she specialised in election coverage in the UK and the USA. She now hosts The News Agents, the Global daily news podcast, with Jon Sopel and Lewis Goodall. She is the author of Airhead: The Imperfect Art of Making News. She recalls her time at Cambridge: 'I was lost in the classics, I read loads of plays, I studied literature, I read amazing poems and I talked long into the night about religion and the reason of being.'