Axel threlfall biography for kids

Last week, Reuters journalists were on-the-ground in Davos, Switzerland, to cover the annual World Economic Forum, a gathering of business, political and academic leaders meeting to discuss global economic issues. Each year, Reuters produces a daily live news program called ‘Davos Today,’ hosted by Reuters Editor-at-Large Axel Threlfall and featuring interviews with some of the top influencers attending the conference. In a Reuters Best: Journalist Spotlight Q&A, Axel offers a behind-the-scenes look at how Reuters covers Davos.

Q. What goes into covering the World Economic Forum?

A. The World Economic Forum in Davos brings together, in a remote mountainous resort, hundreds, if not thousands of global decision-makers – the lifeblood of any news organization – so we have to plan our coverage diligently and carefully, and be savvy about what we cover and how we do it. Reuters has its base in the old library in the center of town, perfectly placed next to the Congress Center where most big sessions take place. Importantly, most delegates (most of whom are potential sources for us) will walk past our studios and our giant plasma screen on their way to sessions. We have a fully-equipped, 4-camera television studio in the library from which we broadcast Davos Today, a live interview-based, news programme that runs daily from 0730-0830 and is broadcast to all of the hotels and venues in Davos, as well as to all of the Reuters news and social media platforms. Our text colleagues and social media teams are also camped out in the library, making for a busy “nerve-center,” but critically this allows us to efficiently coordinate our coverage across all of our platforms, bounce ideas off each other, plan for the day and work as one well-oiled team.

Q. What types of reporting are involved in our coverage?

A. Davos is a great example of how all the different parts of our news organization can come together and work as a cohesive team to bring news from this rather surreal event – what goes on there, what’s said there, what’s agreed there – to the world. Davos Today is a guest-heavy, interview-based discussion programme – informative, news-breaking, fast-paced and often extremely witty. I anchor together with a guest host, usually a government minister, business leader or NGO head, who will help “interrogate” the guests coming through the studio. Our text colleagues spend their days chasing big stories, attending sessions with government and business heads, hosting exclusive one-on-one interviews, moderating panels and providing the television and social media teams with plenty of ammunition for shows, tweets and posts. Reuters News Agency is there in force too, shooting interviews, making packages, door-stepping delegates and providing our clients with wall-to-wall coverage of the event. Reuters cameramen and photographers can be seen in their Reuters-branded ski jackets darting from meeting to meeting, pacing the Promenade for that shot that’ll grace newspapers and TV screens across the world. Our social media team has never been busier in Davos. Glued to their screens, they are cutting soundbites, tweeting, “Facebook-Live-ing”, “Periscoping” and everything else they do, to keep the momentum of our coverage going. And let’s not forget the internal comms folks, whose job it is to keep the Thomson Reuters employee abreast of everything that our leadership team is doing, as well as the Thomson Reuters team generally.

Q. What is the hardest part about covering Davos?

A. Despite diligent planning, we have to be prepared for those plans to be thrown into disarray at any time. Interviews planned months in advance are cancelled or postponed, others are offered with seconds notice. Given our reputation as a trusted and accurate news source, Reuters has superb access to government, business and civil society. People want to talk to us. But we can’t talk to everyone. So we need to be savvy in identifying those individuals who we believe can speak most pertinently to the main stories of the day. This is not always the obvious interview. We are always trying to find sources others may overlook, ask questions others aren’t asking. It’s refreshing for us, as journalists, but importantly it’s refreshing for our sources and will often lead to the exclusive. Apart from the energy required to make all of this happen, the hours are long, it’s cold, icy and this year, we were treated to many feet of snow, making running to sessions and interviews slow and often hazardous. Remember, the world’s media descends on this small town for the week. And most are after the same thing you are!

Q. Any fun anecdotes from this year?

A. I think the rather manic build up to the U.S. President’s end of week visit was one of the most notable takeaways. “Will he, won’t he” discussions were heard pretty much everywhere you went as people debated whether the government shutdown would scupper the trip. Despite plenty of other stuff going on and an abundance of other heads of state, it was hard to deny the U.S. President had hijacked the party. Watching government ministers, business heads and celebrities tip-toe gingerly down the main street in their snowboots was a good reminder that, whatever priorities each had, we were all trying desperately not to slip on the ice and fall flat on our backs. Of course, every night brought lavish cocktail events, live music, parties, for those with any energy left. Lots of fun anecdotes and colour there, but what happens in Davos….

Q. What is your job and what do you find most fulfilling about it? Can you imagine doing anything else?

A. My job title is Editor-at-Large for Reuters, a position I’ve had for just over 3 years. I’m often asked what the title means and think the best way of describing it is to say that I’m not bound by any one beat, any one sector or indeed any one location anymore. It’s a role that allows me to roam a little and go where the big story is, be it in Davos, a Newsmaker in Dubai or a panel at the IMF/World bank meetings in DC. It helps keep Reuters (and Thomson Reuters) visible and front and centre at news events, policy gatherings and business forums. As in Davos, I still anchor television shows from our studios in London and NY. I also host many of our Reuters Newsmakers, conduct high-profile on-stage interviews and moderate panels, both externally and internally. Given our reputation as a trusted and accurate news source, Reuters has superb access to government, business and civil society. People want to talk to us. I love the role. The variety it affords me is unbeatable, but the travel and absences from family can be tough. Can I imagine doing anything else? No, never.

Follow Axel on Twitter here.

Article Tags

Type: Journalist SpotlightReuters Best

Regions: Europe / Middle East / Africa