Fleet Street Fox has revealed herself as Susie Boniface and her subsequent lack of anonymity means that she was able to pay a visit to us in the WINOL news room. (We're not that wonky in real life - promise!)
She highlighted the importance of identity as a journalist and the identity of the Fleet Street Fox is structured right down to the colour of her clothes and even to her unique style of eyeliner. Some may consider it to be vanity, but appearance is crucial when you want to be take seriously. Even the simplicity of choosing to wear heels over flats, or deciding to be clean shaven with a tie, as opposed to rough and ready stubble, can really make a difference. Red, white and black- these are the colours of success. Their eye-catching combination is used throughout the industry with the red masthead on a tabloid paper, and even in the Fox's dress sense.
Make the most of the internet! Twitter is your friend and you should make the most of it. It is important to understand who your audience is and what they will be interested in reading. The same applies for Blogger, Facebook and anything else you can use to your advantage. 9am, 2pm, 4.45pm, 8pm, 10pm.. these are the peak reader traffic times and the moments when you should really be plugging your work!
She was brutally honest when asked about the balance between personal life and journalism life and the forecast did not leave any of us with high hopes! The points she made were valid, but they were also ones few of us had ever considered. The constant dependancy on your phone, incessant nosiness, and never being able to switch off can be very draining on your relationships. The novelty of the journalist life will wear off on others around you. 9-5 hours do not exist in the journalist world but your passport will accumulate an awful lot of stamps. I think it honestly depends on the type of journalist you want to be, but if you want to be one of the big dogs then the family life probably isn't a realistic dream to have.
On the upside there appears to be an awful lot of jagermeister in this line of work.
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