Defend Truth
What I cover
I cast my net widely in the streams of journalism. I write about the mining sector with special attention to the labour and social stories that are swept up in its currents. Commodities more broadly including agriculture are also a focus. There is a fine line between such areas and the environment, so I also report on climate change, weather patterns and, because of my personal passions, wildlife. On the wildlife front I try to bring balance to polarising issues such as trophy hunting, which is often incorrectly portrayed as pushing iconic species such as leopards, lions and elephants to extinction. Human-wildlife conflict is another area of interest, especially the plight of rural Africans who, because of their poverty, live in the terrifying shadow of big-animal attacks. Their voices are often ignored by Western animal rights NGOs. I am drawn like a hungry trout to a mayfly by shark stories. I also wade into the waters of macroeconomics and in doing so attempt to connect the dots between extractive and agricultural industries, the environment and the wider economy. An avid reader, I love to review books and I sometimes write about fly fishing.
My background
I have a First Class Honours BA and a Master degree in history from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. I am writing a book, stay tuned. I would say travel and reading – I mean books – are two of the key ingredients that make a good journalist. In my case, being a historian by training means I often look at the historical context of current events. And being passionate about the outdoors drives my commitment to seeking to write the truth about the environment and wildlife. I was a Reuters correspondent for 24 years in the Baltic states and Texas but mostly South Africa. My work has appeared in Undark, The Atlantic, Mother Jones, Slate, Salon, bioGraphic, The Financial Mail, Business Day and MiningMX.
Journalistic ethics
Ethics are important and instinctive. Don’t use AI for writing, don’t plagiarise, don’t accept bribes, don’t give subjects editorial sway over your work, and don’t fabricate stuff to advance an agenda.
