A Day in the Life of a Lobby Journalist: What It’s Like Covering UK Politics
Lobby rising star Sophie Huskisson spills the behind-the-scenes tips for pitching to UK political reporters.
It’s a huge joy to introduce a rising star of the lobby – the Mirror’s political correspondent Sophie Huskisson!
She’s a scoop-getter extraordinaire, a delight at by-election counts and one of the most supportive reporters in Westminster.
Sophie keeps her readers at the heart of every story she writes and every question she asks – and she’s also making waves with her videos on TikTok.
Sophie, paint me a picture of what a day in your life as a lobby journalist is like? I know it’s probably a bit cliché to say but every day really can be totally different in the life of a lobby journalist. Sometimes you’ll get an Operational Note towards the end of the week / or over the weekend for speeches or events early the next week. This can mean a train on a Sunday night ready for a PM speech anywhere in the country. Other weeks are more routine and you’ll follow the parliamentary schedule, lobby briefings with No10 (usually at 11:30), PMQs on Wednesday etc.
Personally, at the Mirror, my days are also determined by what sort of shift I’m on (I do 7am, 10am or 12pm start times). Each day starts with catching up on the news, with London Playbook a vital read. For the early shift, the morning broadcast round is my first priority, whereas a late shift means I’m more focused on looking at urgent questions or statements in the Commons and any late debates or votes that might need covering. I’m then assigned (or pitch stories) for the day, or work on longer-term pieces for the weekend (which usually involves interviewing people and chasing new lines and angles throughout the week).
For PRs pitching political or policy stories, what makes something genuinely useful for you versus what just adds noise? The main thing that is so useful is being aware of what sort of stories the Mirror (and I personally) cover. While I do cover all politics, I find it really helpful when PRs come to me with stories that touch on the topics I usually cover and am interested in. If it’s something I’ve never written about, it’s still worth pitching but I’m probably less likely to be interested. Likewise, it’s vital to know what the Mirror’s brand is. I’ve been offered some good stories recently on tobacco/vapes policy. They were not only strong stories but it was clear I’d been offered them because it’s an issue the Mirror often reports on.
You’re also smashing it on TikTok. Talk me through the demands of being a multimedia journalist and how can comms pros work with you on videos? Honestly, I’m totally still figuring out the competing demands. The media landscape is shifting more and more towards video but that’s not to say writing copy is not still as vital as ever. If I’m working a Sunday shift by myself and there’s massive international news, then it’s a struggle to do video as well as stories for print and online.
Video is a great opportunity to reach audiences that don’t buy newspapers and never will. I particularly enjoy doing video at events like speeches/press conferences/by-election counts where you can capture “in the room” footage. My advice to PRs is if you’re pitching to someone who usually does video as well as writing, can you offer a video element to your story? E.g. If you have quotes from an MP in your pitch, is there a chance they’d be happy to have a quick chat on camera? Exclusive pictures also help to lift a story or to be used within videos.
Where do you feel the most pressure as a political reporter? Speed, accuracy, access or relationships? Maintaining relationships with sources can definitely be difficult. I’ve found this to be more tricky in the last few months, as the news agenda has been so fast-paced. I have a list of people who I’ve been meaning to touch base with but breaking news means this keeps getting pushed down my priorities list. It’s definitely a hard balance staying on top of life news and finding time in your diary for longer term projects.
Quick fire:
Most overused political phrase right now? “Let me answer that directly,” a minister says, before not answering the question.
A word you never want to hear in a pitch again? “EXCLUSIVE” about an interview with someone who would happily be interviewed every day.
Best place in Westminster to overhear gossip? Strangers bar.
One thing PRs think works but absolutely doesn’t? Putting a quote at the start of the email subject. It’s just distracting.
Best place to contact you? WhatsApp if we know each other but email if it’s a first intro - sophie.huskisson@mirror.co.uk
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