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Talent To Work: Newsmaker, Ed Miliband

Guest blogger, Daisy Baldwin is a production assistant working for a Creative Agency via New Deal of the Mind. She has an MA in Creative Writing and is currently working on her first novel.

Soon after signing up to the Talent to Work scheme I was given the chance to hear Ed Miliband speak at Thomson Reuters; addressing The News of the World phone hacking scandal and the fact the paper is ending after 168 years. Being there to hear the Labour leader’s response to recent events was fascinating, as was attending my first press conference and being able to talk with other members of the Talent to Work program.  I am not pursuing a journalistic career, or aiming to work in politics, but as a writer I’m intensely curious about these spheres and value the opportunity to gain an insight into them.

I’ve been closely following The News of the World story so Ed’s speech was particularly interesting. At one point he described the Press Complaints Commission, which is supposed to be a Watchdog, as a ‘toothless poodle’ and said it had to go.  Everybody around us wrote this down and the comment later appeared in all news coverage of the event.  I studied Creative Writing in order to focus on writing fiction but creative writing is everywhere, especially in our Political speech and Journalism. It was compelling to witness firsthand the power of a good metaphor to transmit an idea, a whole argument condensed into a sound bite. (Steven Poole who wrote Unspeak has a great blog, ‘Words are Weapons’ about the importance of analysing language in the public arena.)

After the speech there was a lively question and answer session, during which a journalist asked how Ed would ensure that whatever replaced the PCC didn’t become just a ‘tiger with dental problems’, and then we headed back to Somerset House. I stopped to buy a Big Issue (us Social Enterprises should stick together) and chatted to the seller about my morning, including the 5.30 start. ‘It does you good, getting up really early sometimes,’ he said, ‘gives you a different perspective on the day.’ The morning certainly gave me an insight into what is usually a closed arena, and I would highly recommend getting involved in future Talent to Work events. Even if they aren’t in the specific industry you want to work in, you will definitely gain a new perspective, and that’s invaluable, both in work and life.

Other Talent To Work event partners include BAFTA, The Howard League, Thomson Reuters and the University of the Arts London. To find out more or if you are interested in getting involved in the Talent To Work programme, either as a member or as an events partner, please visit the website Talent To Work.