Tides of Information: Ken Foxe’s Journey in Journalism
Today my guest is journalist and writer Ken Foxe. With over 30 years’ experience in media, Ken has been at the forefront of investigative reporting and was the leading author of a long-running series of articles in 2009 regarding politicians’ expenses that led to major changes in the way they were reimbursed. Ken is also a co-director of Right to Know, an Irish transparency organisation that campaigns for greater information access, and in his spare time, Ken is the author of a series of short stories. I was a long admirer of his work, especially around the issues of freedom of information, and I was keen to have him on The Comfortable Spot as a guest. We have an in-depth discussion on the media and access to information, so I hope you are sitting comfortable and happy to stay with us.
We kicked off our chat with Ken telling me how he got started in journalism by taking on a work experience in the Sunday World, which is a leading weekend tabloid newspaper in Ireland (01:32), before going freelance and focusing on the issues of freedom of information (08:28), and how printed media has declined since the early 1990s (17:25). We then discussed the topic of right wing media and its threat to society (22:08), the Right to Know organisation (29:45), the objectives of the organisation in relation to freedom of information (35:27), and Ken’s interest in writing fiction (39:55). We finished up with me asking Ken what he is reading, watching and listening to at the moment (45:13).
Show Notes
- Ken’s website
- The Right to Know project
- Snouts in the Trough paperback
- Short stories collection
- For more, hear my conversations with Dave Haslam, Professor Pat O’Connor and Benjamin Chesterton
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