Like Trump, I've hit my first one hundred days in the job. It was a scary yet thrilling move to leave a legacy publication like the Financial Times and a decision I didn’t take lightly, writes former FT correspondent Javier Espinoza.
The early signs of my new project and Europe Executive Editor of the Capitol Forum, a news outlet giving you the inside track on EU policy, are encouraging.
We’ve had a string of scoops: We revealed Brussels is waiting to see what the U.S. will do in relation to Google’s antitrust woes before moving ahead with an order to break up its business and we reported days ahead of our competitors that the EU would clear unconditionally Formula 1's €4.2 billion bid to acquire MotoGP.
Our scoops have been recognised by mainstream publications like Reuters and Politico, and they bring the right attention and the early reception shows that there is a real need for a new and serious voice.
We’ve also had the endorsement of high-profile figures, including interviews with former commissioner Margrethe Vestager and Thierry Breton. Right now I am in Madrid for an interview with Enrico Letta, former Italian Prime Minister and author of a report on the future competitiveness of Europe. In this short space I started a new podcast, revamped our weekly newsletter and put our newsroom on the map.
So what have I learned?
Lesson one: there is life after leaving an established media outlet. In fact, I’ve enjoyed the role of being the underdog. It is many times more gratifying to land a big interview or get sources to open about confidential deals and cases when you are representing a small outlet. Being the underdog also means you have more to prove, and that has been energising and reinvigorating. It has given me the feeling that we are not just reporting on policy, but we are also shaping the conversation. Curiosity about our project hasn’t only meant scoops but it has also translated in new subscribers in the last three months or so.
Lesson two: ChatGPT isn’t about to replace everyone. Despite the doom and gloom about AI making humans irrelevant, I’ve discovered that relationships do matter. I instinctively knew this, but I have experienced first-hand that the trust you develop with people over time has huge value and this is not something that a chatbot can easily replicate. I hope it’s never the case. As journalists, we write about sensitive, often market-moving situations and those involved need to have absolute certainty that the people they talk to are able to protect their sources and even keep a secret if needed.
Lesson three: I often joke that I hate competition unless I am winning. But the main thesis behind my move — that there is a need for alternative and serious voices of EU policy reporting — remains stronger than ever. I spoke to dozens of people ahead of my move about their need to see fresh perspectives on recurrent policy issues. I believe that these new voices – a movement I termed as “pioneers” in my previous column for the Brussels Times — will enhance the media landscape in one of the most reported cities in the world. This at a time when interest in the EU’s role in the world is only intensifying.
Still, it is early days and our coverage and the shape and might of our newsroom is nowhere near where our ambitions are. So far, we’ve had endorsement from new subscribers, the trust of our sources and now the biggest endorsement yet will be that of my peers. It is challenging to build a newsroom at a time when other outlets are strengthening their coverage and new competitors are arriving, but I remain hopeful that as we show the fruits of our early efforts that our peers will also want to join us. Life is a marathon, and the ability to keep momentum will also be crucial to the success of our enterprise.
In the words of French writer Albert Camus: “Real generosity toward the future lies in giving all to the present.” These first 100 days have shown what’s possible and it is now about building something that lasts.
Javier Espinoza is Europe Executive Editor at the Capitol Forum, a Washington DC-based outlet looking to expand its reach in Europe. He was EU correspondent with the Financial Times for over 5 years.
