Interview 4
Name: Kate Russell
Role: Technology journalist and presenter of BBC Click.
Website: http://katerussell.co.uk
Twitter: @katerussell
What type of technology and software journalism have you been involved with?
Print, web, TV
What factors make a topic worthy to cover in your journalism/publications?
If someone wants to read about it or I think I have an interesting perspective to offer.
What makes something newsworthy?
If someone wants to read about it!
What factors do you use to judge credibility of professionals you speak to?
Qualifications, experience, previous work, general levels of knowledge on the topic.
What is your definition of a brand?
I don't have one!
What type of brands do you like to reference in your journalism?
I don't. I write about people, places, products of interest to my reader. That is the core driver, not name-checking brands.
Are you finding that people's expectations for what is achievable with apps and web apps are growing?
Yes.
In your opinion, what differentiates software, apps, web apps and websites?
Platform, form & function.. these things are as different as apples and pears.
What makes a good app?
A useful app.
What are the biggest differences between being employed by someone and being employed by yourself?
You have to be motivated & a self-starter. It's always tempting to do anything but work, especially if your office is at home. You need to be able to resist this temptation. You also need to be brave and smart enough to survive the periods when there is little work. They will always come and if you run out of money and have to take a full time job to tide you over then it's increasingly hard to get back to a self-employed status. As a freelancer there is obviously no job security – this stresses some people out, but I actually like the challenge of it. The other big difference is the freedom to plan and execute your own schedule. You can also go shopping on a weekday when everyone else is at work and not feel guilty about it…though if you're anything like me you will end up working on a Saturday to make up for it!
