Evan Davis at Leeds Trinity University.
The Dragons’ Den and PM presenter provided three key tips for students entering the industry, stating that news needs to be a “mixed ecosystem”.
Appearing live at Leeds Trinity University’s Journalism & Media Week, Davis gave a talk, titled “Dragons’ Den and PM – Keeping it Varied”.
The seasoned presenter voiced his opinions on the journalism industry, of which many audience members are beginning their careers in.
He said there isn’t a “right answer to what the right media is,” but that all aspects, biased and unbiased, have a place.
To open the talk, Davis asked the audience if they thought the BBC was politically inclined to the left, the right, or remained impartial. This question was returned back to him later by an audience member, to which he responded, “everybody I know at the BBC tries their darndest to be fair and impartial”.
In a pre-session interview the Radio 4 host said, “I find it actually intellectually satisfying to not specify, directly, an opinion”.
This came in a week where the BBC have received widespread criticism over remaining impartial.
Evan Davis on being open-minded and maintaining impartiality.
Davis’s insight into the landscape of journalism was coupled with crucial advice on progressing in the industry.
Using his own career as a reference, he said that as an economics correspondent, he struggled finding stories. This led to a pursuit of presenting, something he found himself far more suited to.
The ex-economics editor of the BBC said that his strong knowledge of the subject allowed him to focus on being an engaging presenter. This put him ahead of others, who were too fixated on facts, making their broadcasts less comprehensible.
Davis said to students, “you need to work out what you’re good at in journalism and you need to push it and focus on it”.
Along with having a specialism, he added: “I do think you can make a bit of your own luck,” and gave three traits to follow.
“These are the three secrets of journalistic success”.
Firstly, enthusiasm. Davis stressed that any topic could become interesting if presented enthusiastically. He said, “someone being passionate about something is infectious and effective”.
The second characteristic was open-mindedness, where he said that people have a tendency to jump to conclusions. Davis encouraged young journalists to work against “confirmation bias” which is “the enemy of open-mindedness”.
Concluding with curiosity, he said, “life is more interesting if you ask a question” and that it was a “very important attribute for journalists”.
“Whatever kind of journalism you do, find your spot, do it well, and be enthusiastic, open-minded and curious, and you’ll be fine,” which was followed by a loud applause from the audience.