the north HOWARD MCWILLIAM


2023, Olivia Greenway lived in the home counties and worked in London. However, her husband comes from Manchester and, when covid happened, the couple decided to move north. Today, she lives in south Manchester. “I had a few friends from Manchester and they always used


to moan about PRs not coming north and no one being interested,” she says. “I’m a travel writer and I thought they were exaggerating. Tey weren’t.”


Cut off A freelance travel and lifestyle writer, Greenway recalls that, when she worked in London, she was invited to events all the time. While those events still appear in her inbox, they are impossible to attend. Only a handful of companies seem to venture beyond the M25. Furthermore, when Greenway writes travel articles for different publications, they want it from a London perspective. “Te travel editors are all based in London, and that’s where


the PRs are based too. It’s very, very London-centric because that’s where they are. If they want to go on the trip that you’ve just written about, they want to go from London. So that perpetuates it… I find it very frustrating.” Even more disconcerting is how northern journalists in


London are sometimes treated by colleagues. Lucinda Borrell, a senior investigations journalist, lived in London for 15 years before returning to her home city of Newcastle. “I moved back two years ago, in part because of regional


accent discrimination that I faced at the BBC,” she says. “I woke up one morning and thought, I can’t be bothered with this any more.” During her time in London, Borrell worked in national


newsrooms and on current affairs investigations for the BBC and independent production companies. Now based in the north east, she recalls “abuse, particularly around my accent, in production companies and at the BBC”. She says: “I think that the investigative journalism sphere


Cockermouth, Cumbria, Suzanne Elsworth agrees the north can be ignored by the national press, partly


owing to ‘geographical inconvenience’; in particular, people see the Lake District as “somewhere people go on so think it’s a long way away”. She says: “With regard to politics, Workington Man [the


archetypal swing voter] became a thing ahead of the 2019 general election, so suddenly West Cumbria attracted some attention, though it was packed with stereotypes and narrow views. I think most places between Manchester and Scotland often don’t figure on the political map – just look at our transport links and the fact we have to travel out of the county for a lot of specialist healthcare.” She continues: “Te north isn’t just gritty industry or pretty


holiday backdrops with nothing in between – it’s a living, breathing, working place with world-class expertise. Just look at the nuclear sector. Sellafield hits the headlines as a dark, scary place yet the brilliance in its supply chain is astounding. Most of the 2026 World Cup pitches used turf technology made in Maryport, a tiny town on the coast. Te paper used in your bank notes is made in Wigton. Te paper for your Remembrance Day poppies is made near Kendal. Te ‘pips’ heard on the BBC are broadcast from the Solway Coast.” For journalists who have moved north from the south, the change in location and perspective has been palpable. Until


“


and the television sphere are some of the worst genres to be working in as someone with a regional accent.” Numerous studies have revealed prejudice against people


with northern accents. Te Speaking of Prejudice research project, led by Northumbria University, found people believe that speakers in the north of England are less intelligent. “Tere’s a stereotype – and there always has been – that


Investigative journalism and television are among the worst genres if you have a regional accent


Geordies are stupid, don’t like clever things, we’re all broke, and that we wouldn’t watch a programme like Newsnight or File on 4,” says Borrell. “And there’s an idea that any Geordie who comes into a newsroom or is watching a programme is living their life like Billy Elliot. And I think you can see that massively in programming. “Te BBC does want to do more in Newcastle but it’s all


daytime and drama. I haven’t seen any documentaries or high-profile news coverage from the BBC that has been based in the north east.” Borrell believes that people in the north east are more likely


to watch ITV regional news programmes which, in her experience, are better at reflecting what is happening locally. She also points to a surge in hyperlocal outlets. “In the north east, there is a lot of appetite for journalism for


current affairs for issues that affect people on a day-to-day basis. But I’m in my late 30s and I don’t know anyone who has a licence fee. To them, they are not getting any value out of it or any representation.”


theJournalist | 15


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28