James Sanderson

Picture the scene… You find out that one of the country’s best journalists is an Alumnus of the magazine that you edit and an ex-student of your University. What do you do? The answer was simple; pick up the phone and call Sky News.

I was prepared at the very least to be put in my place, perhaps even the odd swear word wouldn’t have gone amiss. Fast forward twenty-four hours though and an unknown number pops up on my phone, “Hello, this is Jeff Randall here”. Not only had Jeff called me back, he asked If I’d like to shadow him for the day- my answer, of course, was a resounding yes.

My 12 hours with Jeff…

I waited outside the Telegraph’s headquarters next to some imposing iron gates until Jeff came to meet me at reception. After clearing the tight security, we ascended the escalator to the cafe- awash with Telegraph hacks buzzing on caffeine. It really would have been rude not to join them so we grabbed a coffee and continued into the main Telegraph newsroom, which in itself was very impressive. Newsroom wise, it wasn’t just a collection of linear desks separated from each-other, the whole space has been planned meticulously around a ‘hub and spoke system’ – the hub being a large roundtable where the heads of each department can regularly thrash out the days news. The spokes make up the different departments allowing easy collaboration.

The View From Jeff's Office

After a whistle-stop tour of the news-floor Jeff made tracks to his personal office, just adjacent to Will Lewis’ office. As Editor-at-large, Jeff is one of the most distinguished hacks at The Telegraph, immediately obvious after spending only a short time with him. It isn’t just the journalism awards and the photos on the wall with esteemed members of the political and business world, it’s the respect which he has gained over the years which really makes Jeff unique. In real-terms, Jeff writes relatively infrequently at the Telegraph but his material is always in-tune with many people and it’s pertinence resonates regularly in the business world. It’s no surprise then that The Telegraph treat Jeff like royalty and provide him with a cosy little office.

Despite being at The Telegraph, my task was to research David Gold, Chairman of West Ham for an interview on football finances. This was to be conducted at Sky News later on as a large segment of Jeff Randall Live, Jeff’s weekday show. As they couldn’t find me a desk within the building I sat in Jeff’s chair whilst researching (which in itself was hilarious, with some very strange looks coming from the news desk). We had Lunch at the Cafe’ and discussed Impact Magazine past and present and how far we’d come over the years. After Lunch, I helped prepare some questions for the interview and supplied Jeff with the brief on Gold.

Jeff’s driver then met us outside The Telegraph and we made our way to the Sky News Centre in Osterley. Jeff explained in the car that the journey had put some interviewees off from coming again and that his new purpose-made studio in the Gherkin (or Sky Towers) will be a great opportunity to get the big names.

On Arrival at Sky News you immediately emerge at studio level and walk around the perimeter of the set. Look over to the main set and you’ll catch the eye of some familiar faces. It all seems relatively low-key to be completely frank, it certainly seemed as though their award-winning coverage was relatively effortless. Ascend the stairs to where the real news is made though and things get a little clearer. Jeff has two fantastic support staff for his show, all on the same wavelength and working to some unimaginable deadlines. During this time I watched Jeff finalise his script and add in some typical phrases, “in a mess” seemed to be a regular what with the various financial cock-ups floating around.

The Sky News Gallery

By this time of course, I was getting into the swing of things and just taking the whole environment in. What I didn’t bank on however was the real possibility of his interviewee, David Gold, being a no-show. To my utter disbelief I was asked if I’d go on live instead to talk about student fees – the transcript was written, the graphics were made-up, it was to be my 5 minutes of fame. Fast-forward 20 minutes and thankfully David Gold shows up in a rather extravagant Roller with a Marks and Spencer bag in-hand, my TV debut was shattered but I was saved of some embarrassment. A thoroughly electric experience nonetheless- the ladies in make-up wouldn’t have know what had hit them.

Journalists are well-known for enjoying themselves after hotfooting from the office, and my time with Jeff was no exception. I was lucky enough to be taken to one of the most exclusive gentlemen’s clubs in London. Following dinner, the club members retired upstairs where I joined them for some whiskey-fueled chatter. These chaps were clearly very influential, I’m unlikely to be meeting similarly influential individuals any time soon.

If one would need any more to aspire to, I suggest they book an appointment with their doctor.