Emma Tucker responds to quick fire questions on journalism—from editing The Isis, to The Sunday Times.
Emma Tucker is the current editor of The Sunday Times (since 2020), and former deputy editor of The Times. Tucker studied Politics, Philosophy, and Economics (PPE) at Oxford, during which time she was also editor of The Isis, one of the university’s longest standing student papers (founded in 1892). Tucker’s career also included working for the Financial Times (FT), where she became editor of the FT Weekend.
Beyond this impressive resume, however, Tucker shares some life advice, amusing anecdotes from her time at Oxford and beyond, and sheds some light on contemporary journalism.
What do you remember from student journalism?
‘I was editor of The Isis. My approach was eclectic! But there are some good bylines when I look back on my three editions.’
How has journalism changed in the time you’ve been involved in it?
‘We have moved from print first to digital first, which requires a fundamental shift in how we approach stories. In print days, the readers came to us. Now we have to go to them and engage them. This requires a much sharper focus on our audiences and what they want from us.’
What’s your amusing anecdote from being a student in Oxford?
‘The Rugby club thought it would be funny to throw the captain of the team naked into my room one evening. I gave him a towel for his modesty and made him a cup of tea. I didn’t think too much of it but decided it merited a complaint as they went on to do the same to a student upstairs from me. The Dean’s response was: “Oh come on, Emma, boys will be boys.” So I wrote it up for the Guardian’s women’s page and they published it.’
What’s it like writing for a national newspaper?
‘Everyone hates you. Especially on Sunday mornings. It’s different from student journalism because the stakes are rather higher!’
Biggest scoop?
‘As an editor, our early coverage of COVID-19 and the stories we have done about Prince Charles (as he then was) taking money in plastic bags from a controversial Qatari ex-politician.’
What’s been your worst journalism moment?
‘I once wrote a splash for the Financial Times that was totally wrong. I also once wrote a jokey article about giving birth in Brussels. My Belgian gynaecologist saw it and the humour got totally lost in translation. I felt terrible.’
What’s preoccupying you the most at the moment?
‘We are neck deep in the Queen’s funeral. I can’t pretend I am not looking forward to getting back to BAU [business as usual]. From the comments, so are our readers.’
What key lesson have you learnt from being a journalist?
‘Storms pass. Eventually.’
One piece of advice: journalism-specific or generic-life
‘There is never a good time to have a baby. So just get on with it.’