Inside the Industry

Seven Values Editors and Hiring Managers Notice (and What They Ignore)

What do editors and hiring managers actually notice when reviewing a portfolio, reading a pitch, or deciding who to bring into a newsroom or project team?

It’s rarely the loudest voices or the most visible profiles. More often, it comes down to professionalism, clarity of thinking, and the small signals that show someone understands how the industry operates behind the scenes.

In a world where social media metrics can create a misleading picture of success, many decision-makers are quietly looking for something deeper: consistency, reliability, and a sense that a person can contribute meaningfully to a team.

Understanding these values early can help aspiring professionals focus on the qualities that truly matter, rather than chasing surface-level validation.

The industry is evolving quickly, but the fundamentals that build trust haven’t changed nearly as much as people think.

Read the full article here

Career Insight

Choosing the Right Platforms for Your Career

One of the most common mistakes in modern sports media is the pressure to be everywhere at once, publishing across every platform, chasing visibility rather than strategy.

While multi-platform awareness is important, progress often comes from choosing the right spaces for your voice rather than spreading yourself too thin.

The most effective professionals tend to build momentum by focusing on a few platforms that align with their strengths, audience, and long-term goals. That approach creates clarity, improves consistency, and allows you to develop a recognisable professional identity over time.

This week’s Career Insight explores how to think more strategically about platform choice and why working smarter often leads to stronger growth than simply working harder.

Read the full piece here

From My Week

Preparing to return to AlUla

After back-to-back events in AlUla and Jeddah, it’s been good to spend some quality time at home before settling back into the familiar rhythm of the office. The pace of live events is always intense, so the moments in between become an important space to reset, reflect, and plan for what comes next.

The focus now turns back to AlUla as preparations build toward AlFursan Endurance and another visit to the region. As one of the major fixtures in the global endurance horse racing calendar, this year’s event carries even greater significance ahead of hosting the FEI Endurance World Championship in November.

The priority is clear: deliver a world-class experience while maximising media attention and reinforcing the broader narrative around equestrian sport in AlUla.

Alongside the event build-up, ongoing client work continues to shape the week. Qiddiya City remains one of the most exciting long-term projects on the horizon; a future destination set to be three times the size of Paris, designed around sport, entertainment, and culture.

There’s plenty more to come on that front in the coming weeks, but even now it’s clear that the opportunity to help shape media awareness around such an ambitious vision is something special.

This Week’s Recommendations

How Alexander Isak’s record move left Liverpool and Newcastle with an improbable outcome | Richard Jolly | The Independent

Miracle: The Boys of ’80 | Netflix

Everybody Loses: The Tumultuous Rise of American Sports Gambling | Danny Funt | Simon and Schuster

The Big T Podcast, Episode 1: Inside the Alcaraz/Ferrero split | Tennis.com

Get Started in Sports Media

If you’re looking to build momentum in sports media, clarity and direction matter more than ever.

The Sports Media Career Playbook has been designed to help you understand how to position yourself, develop the right habits, and navigate the industry with purpose, whether you’re just beginning or refining your next move.

Explore the Sports Media Playbook here

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Closing Note

Some weeks are defined by travel and live events, others by strategy and planning. Both are essential parts of the industry, and understanding how they connect will always give you a stronger foundation for your own journey.

Until next time,
Jon