Q&A: Me and my blog

Q: Who the hell are you?

A: Glad you asked. Nobody really, just a jobbing journo turned lecturer turned sustainability comms guy.

Q: What's all this blog about then?

A: Mmmm. Well it started off being about anything in general but it soon turned out that the only things of interest I have to say involve journalism and comms. Then a few people like what I said about running and triathlon. So now it's mostly about those topics.

Q: Care to elaborate?

A: I started as a journalist in 1997 - I had been alive for about 25 years before then but as this blog is mostly about communications it seems sensible to start there.

The Derby Evening Telegraph gave me my first full-time opportunity and I completed my NCE there before having a short spell at the Daily Mail. I returned to the Derby Telegraph and had a great spell as Crime Reporter - fortunately before police links with journalists became controlled by press officers.

I went to work on the newsdesk of the Oxford Mail in 2000 and became group news editor of Newsquest Oxfordshire a few years later. I then briefly worked as a sub before becoming Group Digital Content Manager (web editor to most of us). That was a great job as the potential of the web was rapidly, if rather belatedly, becoming clear. Then in 2008 I realised I was spending loads of time training people and enjoying it a lot, so I became a lecturer at the University of Gloucestershire. Then I moved to a major environmental NGO to run their communications. I freelance (mainly as a writer) as much as work, exercise and family allow to drop me a line at mtbradbrook (at) gmail.com if you might want my services.

Q: Why should I listen to anything you have to say?

A: You don't have to. I value your readership but feel free to go elsewhere. I'm just chatting about stuff. I have a bit of knowledge, a bit of experience and a lot of passion for good communications. I'm not right all the time and I like to listen to different views.

Q: What if I don't like what you have to say?

A: Leave me a comment and say what you like. It's a free country (unless you want to take part in a peaceful and democratic protest - then you'll get a chase from men with truncheons dressed in hats)