Top UK Journalists On Twitter: The Media Brands Worth Following
WHO are the Top journalists to follow on Twitter? Which of those hacks who build up a following by telling you about their lives as they sit in their pyjamas watching daytime telly – much like the institutionalised but with less good drugs and almost no routine – are worth following?
Journalists can be brands on Twitter. And they can debate away from their corporate employers. The Washington Post has told its hacks:
No branded Post accounts should be used to answer critics and speak on behalf of the Post, just as you should follow our normal journalistic guidelines in not using your personal social media accounts to speak on behalf of the Post.”
The hack is independent. The organs they write for are just vehicles that pay for their louche lifestyles. Stick a load of like-minded hacks together with a newsfeed to make a newspaper or magazine. But who to get?
Name: Charlie Brooker
Location: London
Bio Foul-mouthed college dropout
Followers: 196,537
Would have been interesting to see how Brooker covered pap TV now he’s married to Konnie Huq, the former Blue Peter presenter now jobbing for the X Factor. But not long after marrying the kind of person his fans expect him to mock and deride, Brooker gave up his job as a TV reviewer for the Guardian. He then appeared on the telly as one legless gagmeister on a witless, formulaic panel-based game show featuring – again – the kind of people fans of his expect him to hate. Brooker is in danger of going native.
Name: Boris Johnson
Location: London
Bio: City Government for Greater London under the auspices of the Mayor of London
Followers: 105,718
Gonzo journalist working on a story about way it’s like to be Mayor of London.
Name: Caitlin Moran
Location: iPhone: 0.000000,0.000000
Bio: A woman, yes, but still funny.
Followers: 45,157
Bitchy. Funny. Can come across as being too happy to be part of the established media and on the inside, but always entertaining and lively.
Name: Grace Dent
Location: East London
Bio Diary of a Snob. TV-OD. i am circling you in a roflcopter powered on solid gold lolz.
Followers: 28,941
Dent is a journalist who shares Anorak’s pet hates and likes. Always a comfort to realise you are not alone and that your nascent spite, sarcasm and loves are fitt for public consumption. Also pretty fit.
Name: Alan Rusbridger
Location: London
Bio: Editor in Chief of Guardian Newspapers
Followers: 17,200
Everyone one of Alan’s followers wants him to notice them and give them a job.
Name: Toby Young
Location: London
Bio: Soon-to-be Old Media casualty struggling to appear digitally with-it
Followers:14,799
Well-connected, erudite, witty, self-promoting and professionally socially awkward hack taking his shtick for being a young fuddy-duddy who looks a bit like William Hague’s harder brother onto Twitter.
Name: Cate Sevilla
Location: London
Bio: Editor-in-Chief of @BitchBuzz. Founder of @OMBworkshop. Writer. Californian. Enjoys beer and bobby pins. Is not a big fan of the general public.
Still wondering why we like her?
Name Ollie Irish
Location: England
Bio: Sarcastic football writer, based in south London
Followers: 2,657
The editor of WhoAteAllThePies is the antidote to Tim Lovejoy, James Corden and everyone else feeding off football to further their own careers as comics and star-shaggers.
Name: James Delingpole
Location: Lambeth, Greater London, Unite
Bio: I’m lovely and right about everything
Followers: 2,285
Knew David Cameron when he was a shiny-faced young dude in short pants. Cameron is now in his 40s, and looking remarkably unchanged. Delingpole attacks global warming activism with something activists lack: wit and insight
Name: Stuart Heritage
Location: Very Very VERY south London
Bio: Not angry, just disappointed.
Followers: 1,431
Plucked from his job editing Hecklerspray, Heritage is now paid to watch telly in his comic book-themed pyjamas. He writes the entertaining X Factor blog on the Guardian’s website.
Name: Louise Jones
Location: Essex, innit
Bio: Growing up
Following: 1,120
According to Channel 4 News has crowned 17-year-old Louise Jones as Britain’s best young blogger. Bing young blogger is a bit like being an old age pensioner. Blogging is all about being young. Jones’ tweets are insightful and honest. Does she follow Alan Rusbridger yet?
NOTE: IF you’ve been left off the list – let us know. We will update it.
Posted: 26th, October 2010 | In: Key Posts, Reviews Comment (1) | TrackBack | Permalink
