I am journalist with 25 years experience covering business, technology, policy, law, and public affairs.

current
journalist
freelance

Covering business, financial, political, and legal aspects of technology, energy, infrastructure and environment.

Challenged campaign against the datacenter industry in Holland with investigation that exposed how environmentalists and political parties had based it on fake news.

Called out official hypocrisy in Ireland, with investigation that demonstrated how electricity operators and regulators used numbers that grossly overstated the power demands of datacenters, deflecting blame for shortages caused by their own under-investment in and poor management of the electricity grid.

Exposed declining efficiency and rising costs in EU windpower, with investigation that revealed how the EU had been forced to compromise its dash to build offshore capacity to cut the risk of causing ecological harm.

Gave context to conflicting EU, US and UK efforts to regulate big-tech and big data, with deep news analysis of their digital media and data privacy laws.

Investigated how Silicon Valley got advantage over the EU from innovative US debt financing markets. Covered international business & finance stories.

Ongoing: strengthening data & programming skills.

Themes: datacenters environment energy big-tech regulation software super-computers business finance EU Africa China internet offshore wind water usage Ukraine
2018-2019
associate editor
Engineering & Technology Magazine

Exposed compromised UK policy-making with investigation into battle for control of public communications infrastructure.

Broke scoops that were picked up and followed up by national and local newspapers, television news and tech press.

Themes: smart cities 5G planning law offshore finance crime local government telecommunications law radio spectrum regulation
2007-2018
investigative news journalist + blogger
freelance

Responsible for influential Computer Weekly Public Sector IT Blog.

Spurred international debate international debate on the preservation of historical internet records and generated immense public attention for CW with scoop on Conservative Party deleting its internet history in breach of transparency pledge.

Unearthed evidence used in campaigns and legal action by human rights groups, with investigation that confirmed UK role in controversial Middle East drone assassinations and exposed the unprecedented power of networked warfare.

Played significant part in discrediting UK’s controversial National Identity Scheme, with investigation that exposed widespread security breaches by dozens of officials in government departments and public authorities countrywide.

Won tech journalism award for exposé of trumped up charges in extradition case against hacker Gary McKinnon.

Did pioneering work as a data journalist, in days before the profession took off.

Reinforced investigative techniques such as forensic accounting to get exclusives and illuminate trends.

Used data analysis to break important stories on my beat, exposing flaws in scandalous inquiry into NHS patient deaths.

Defended CW's reputation, and my own, against malicious attack, with data journalism investigation that advanced the scoop on Conservative Party deleting inconvenient internet records.

Led coverage and analysis of Cameron government's digital transformation programme in central and local government, police and health services.

Did watchdog journalism on government data surveillance, corporate transparency, and technology policy.

Covered breakdown and reform of controversial NHS IT programme.

Reported on technology law, and proceedings in UK High Court, Lords, Parliament, Brussels and Strasbourg.

Themes: government computing transformation data surveillance outsourcing identity cards IDv2.0 Universal Credit NHS National Programme for IT patient records extradition law cybercrime open source software local government transparency procurement reform open data hospital death stats open standards data protection telecommunications human rights law network-centric warfare targeted killing procurement law public accounts corporate transparency treaty law
2006-2007
technology affairs reporter
The Register

Developed beat on unorthodox development of EU and international law: cross-border police and immigration data sharing; US treaty-making over intelligence data; border systems; and data protection.

Themes: privacy tech business war on terror global police data intellectual property parliament identity cards DNA database data protection surveillance passenger records immigration databases biometrics open source software gender equality
2001-2006
business journalist
freelance

Worked as a features and supplements editor for IT trade magazine MicroScope. Managed and hosted round table debates, a conference and an awards scheme.

Wrote front-page news and managed and edited comment pieces and features for Computer Reseller News. Worked news shifts for VNUnet web news service.

Wrote business profiles for The Sunday Times.

Published widely in trade and business publications, including Retail Week, Computing, Financial Times, Travel Weekly.

Themes: small business business strategy enterprise software education supply chain retail offshore outsourcing
2000-2001
producer + editor
CW360.com

Helped manage move online of MicroScope, Computer Weekly and associated trade titles. Launched and edited a website and a series of newsletters. Helped manage development of a content management system.

1995-2000
chief reporter
Microscope

Responsible for producing front-page news on UK's then leading IT trade weekly. Covered national and international business, technology, law and market trends.

Themes: business news e-commerce European business
1993-1995
editor
PC Today

Managed small team on news-stand magazine. Commissioned, wrote and edited news, reviews and how-to articles about personal computer technology. Started as staff writer. Quickly promoted to news editor and editor.