Adjunct Professor at the University of Southern California
Associate Lecturer in Contemporary Media Cultures, University of the Arts London
Lecturer in Liberal Arts & Humanities, Regent's University London
It has been my privilege to work with James Hoare as part of first Imagine and then Future Publishing for three years from June 2015 to the present. During this time, James commissioned me to complete a wide variety of written assignments, from contextualisation of television series Taboo for All About History to investigative journalism regarding the importance of historical sites and reinvestigations of historical cases for Real Crime magazine.
James has a simply huge range of knowledge over an incredible variety of subjects ranging from politics to folklore. This meant his commissions were always contextually appropriate – there were never any unforeseen developments or ‘surprises’ when working with interviewees or templates, for instance. As a journalist, I’ve been wowed by his ability to turn in pieces ranging from wars to American folk history with academic thoroughness as well as the wit of a teenager when the situation called for it. He is an incredibly adept writer.
I have not known a better collaborator. James knows the rules (to the letter) enough to know when and how to break them. This enabled him to lead the launch even a relatively controversial magazine such as Real Crime to mainstream stockists. His balance of cover art (especially the top third of the page) with carefully balanced page elements makes the stories pop. On a personal level, he welcomes input and alterations, resulting in truly innovative designs, such as a feature we worked on regarding the Sixties. An alteration of graphology utilising different fonts conveyed the time period as much the writing did. This was not journalism as information, but journalism as experience for the reader and the writer.
James has integrity. The demands of clickbait culture can seem to negate the need for ethics and fact-checking, especially in fast moving media cultures. James, however, is aware of the value of brand identity, but more importantly has a superb knowledge of journalistic codes of practice, leading a project to develop one for Future Publishing in 2018. Needless to say, this thought also safeguards against the danger of legal or moral transgression. He is an inventive but very safe pair of hands.
Finally, James has incredible people skills. No matter how close the deadline, he always makes it clear that his staff matter and that the product is not just a unit to be sold or used to sell, but a demonstration of the value of learning and of relationships. I worked on some incredibly grisly projects with him, but it always felt worth it because I knew his plan would ensure the stories would challenge readers to consider their attitudes whilst remaining incredibly entertaining. Indeed, several current and past colleagues travelled the length of the country to socialise with James while touring historical monuments. He is the real deal in every sense.
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