A Year of Divisions

(the bubble is real)

I hope you’ve all had a serene Christmas/holiday and are ready for 2023.

One of my resolutions (I won’t bore you with the serious ones) is to HAVE MORE FUN so I’m off to check whether the party dress I plan to wear for New Year’s Eve still fits after all that Panettone. But before that, I wanted to drop you a quick line with a final thought about 2022, which has been one heck of a year.

War, the (temporary?) implosion of British politics, a far-right government at the heart of Europe, and THAT World Cup. Say what you will, it hasn’t been boring.

But of all the end-of-year-reviews I’ve read, this from The Economist struck me the most:

The tests of 2022 have also revealed the depths of the world’s divisions and have set big government on the march.

To gauge the divisions, compare the almost universal support for America after the attacks of September 11th 2001 with the global south’s determination to stay neutral in the fight over Ukraine. In the most recent UN vote to reprimand Russia, 35 countries abstained.

Many understandably resent how the West asserts that its worries are issues of global principle, whereas war in Yemen or the Horn of Africa, say, or climate-related droughts and floods, always seem to be regional.

2022 was the year I left Al Jazeera, a channel that puts the Global South at the heart of its news agenda. And though I remain a faithful viewer, without the daily input that came from working there, I’ve been amazed at how quickly certain stories disappeared from my timelines.

After a few months I realised I hadn’t read a single thing about the conflict in Tigray for weeks. Or had updates about Yemen. Even Afghanistan isn’t on the news nearly enough, considering the heartbreaking upheaval that’s going on there.

The biggest lesson I’ve learnt in 22 years in TV journalism is that there isn’t one, single, global news agenda. Priorities are different, as are sensitivities. Sure, some stories (like the Queen’s death. Even saying ‘The’ Queen, and assuming you know who I mean) will resonate in most places. But even then the coverage will be different depending on the audience.

Nowhere was that more obvious than in the coverage of the Qatar World Cup. My timeline was split in half, and both sides had valid points. It was particularly depressing to see how few people could or wanted to find a middle ground.

The way news is delivered is changing fast, and it’s expanding on diverse platforms. The very existence of newsletters like this one are proof of that. It’s an exciting time to work in or consume news. But however you get your information, just remember:

The bubble is real.

But now the countdown to midnight is on and it’s time for bubbles of a different kind.

On a final note, here’s a special wish for a Happy New Year to all of you who subscribed to this newsletter and allowed me into your inbox. Embarking on a new career in 2022 has been exhilarating and rewarding but also terrifying. Your support has meant more than you can imagine. So, from the heart:

Grazie mille / Mange tak / Thank you

See you in 2023! I bet this one won’t be boring either.

Barbara x