Episode 35 - an opinion articles special with Harriet Williamson

Here are the show notes for Episode 35, an opinion articles special, in which Dan and Jacky talk to Harriet Williamson, the Voices Commissioning Editor at The Independent about:

• Opinion articles and what makes a good one, including pieces about language issues
• The job of a commissioning editor
• Paths into journalism
• Educating the public about language

Harriet’s Independent page:  https://www.independent.co.uk/author/harriet-williamson

Harriet on Twitter: https://twitter.com/harriepw

Indy Voices on Twitter: https://twitter.com/IndyVoices

Harriet’s article on accent-shaming: https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/accent-bias-shaming-bbc-english-b2216735.html

Harriet on why, if you want to be a writer, it pays to be a reader: https://www.independent.co.uk/independentpremium/editors-letters/better-writer-journalism-reading-stephen-king-b2140181.html

Victoria Richards’ article on language and refugees:

https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/suella-braverman-invasion-migrants-firebombing-b2214905.html

And in our regular Lang in the News segment, Lisa, Jacky and Dan discuss and analyse an article by Michael Deacon of the Daily Telegraph that lays into the BBC’s Amol Rajan over his views on accents at the BBC. We also look at two letters from Telegraph readers in response to (and in support of) the Deacon article. We also see how many times we can say Amol Rajan’s name in the space of 30 minutes… 

Make sure you have the article to hand as we pull it apart!

Michael Deacon article here (paywalled version): https://www.telegraph.co.uk/columnists/2022/09/28/amol-rajans-attack-posh-presenters-pure-inverted-snobbery/

Michael Deacon article here (Pressreader version): https://pressreader.com/article/281573769572585

Letters here: https://pressreader.com/article/282093460615450

Amol Rajan’s Cracking the Class Ceiling programme https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001fygr

And reviewed here

Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2022/12/06/how-crack-class-ceiling-review/

Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/dec/06/tv-tonight-amol-rajan-class-ceiling-bbc-jamie-claudia-winkleman-the-traitors

Amol Rajan’s initial points reported here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/09/27/amol-rajan-accuses-bbc-posh-having-accent-bias