Sophia Alexandra Hall

A BTS of what it’s like getting up to do the morning paper review on Sky News. 👋

New Child Protection Authority announced – but will it stop grooming gangs? The government has announced a new Child Protection Authority, but campaigners warn the reforms are long overdue.

🔵 New Child Protection Authority to tackle grooming gangs

The government has announced plans for a new national Child Protection Authority aimed at overhauling how England responds to child abuse, exploitation and grooming. I asked CSA survivors what they thought.

www.bigissue.com/news/social-...

Youth minister pressed on universal credit and child poverty targets Young people helped shape Labour’s new national youth strategy. Minister Stephanie Peacock and youth collaborator Zafeera Karim explain how.

🟠 Minister pressed on universal credit and child poverty targets

At the strategy launch, I pressed the minister for youth, tourism & sport on why the government has set legally binding apprenticeship targets… but not similar commitments on child poverty

www.bigissue.com/news/nationa...

Labour unveils national youth strategy with vital promise to young people The government has published its first national youth strategy in 15 years, promising £500 million to open new hubs across England.

🟡 Labour reveals its new National Youth Strategy!

Launched on Wednesday, this is the first youth strategy in 15 years and follows the largest government consultation with young people in history – more than 14,000 young people from all walks of life took part.

www.bigissue.com/news/social-...

Councils told to give care leavers better access to childhood records Thousands who grew up in the care system still can’t access their childhood records. The ICO’s new campaign aims to change that.

Some reporting I’ve done this week 👇

🟣 ICO launches a campaign to make accessing your care records easier!

I spoke to the Information Commissioner and the wonderful Jackie McCartney for a piece on @bigissue.com, exploring why access to records matters.

www.bigissue.com/news/childho...

NEW: On the day the US Government Shutdown becomes the longest in history, representation breaks new ground across America.

🚨 Zohran Mamdani has been elected as NYC’s first Muslim and South Asian mayor.

🚨 Ghazala Hashmi becomes the first Muslim American woman elected to statewide office in the US.

This TEDx Talk questions how journalists report on underrepresented communities in the UK media.

🔎 Is our reporting designed to inform… or inflame? 🔥

Let’s take a look at last summer’s anti-immigration riots…

Watch the full talk: youtu.be/fJy__NhRqJA

What makes a life newsworthy? | Sophia Alexandra Hall | TEDxSt Albans YouTube video by TEDx Talks

My full TEDx Talk ‘What makes a life newsworthy?’ is now live.

It draws on both my experience as a journalist working at @bigissue.com and my life as a care-experienced person who has been interviewed in the media.

Watch in full on YouTube now 🎥: www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJy_...

My full TEDx Talk ‘What makes a life newsworthy?’ is now live.

An honour to share insights from my work as a journalist and my own lived experience at TEDx St Albans earlier this month.

🎥: tinyurl.com/tedxsophia

We need your help finding the UK’s top 100 Changemakers! Nominations are now open for you to celebrate the people and organisations making a positive difference in your community.

Do you have a local hero? Or know an empowering organisation? Nominate them here: www.bigissue.com/news/activis...

💍 My out of office says I’m not accepting pitches, but of course I said yes to Andrew’s.

Can’t wait to manage the thrills of my SEO transition from Hall -> Watkins 💻

Do any of my followers live in Yorkshire and have seen or been impacted by the smoke from the Langdale Moor fire?

Drop me a comment if you have, or if you’ve been impacted by a recent UK wildfire local to you. ⬇️ 💬

Baroness Lola Young: ‘Children in care shouldn’t be a route to profit' Baroness Lola Young speaks out against the privatisation of children's care homes, continuing the commodification of vulnerable children.

'Children in care shouldn't be a route to profit': Baroness Lola Young on privatisation of children's homes

www.bigissue.com/news/politic...

Zelda Perkins, Harvey Weinstein's ex-assistant, applauds UK's proposed NDA ban NDAs used to gag victims of abuse are set to be banned in the UK. Zelda Perkins explains why this is a global turning point.

I spoke to Zelda Perkins who has been leading the fight to get NDAs that silence workplace harassment or discrimination banned in the UK.

Yesterday was a huge step towards that goal. Read my interview below. 👇
www.bigissue.com/news/employm...

A Reform councillor calling children in care 'evil' is missing the point When a Reform councillor brands children in care as “evil”, it says more about political ignorance than the kids themselves. Here’s why.

It's my day off. I'm on my way to Glasgow. But that didn't stop me from writing a reactionary op-ed for @bigissue.com this morning after a Reform councillor referred to some children in care as “not just naughty children... but downright evil.”

Read my take below. ⬇️
www.bigissue.com/opinion/refo...

Coming back onto Bluesky to announce… I’m going to be a TEDx speaker!

My talk at TEDx St Albans is on ‘The Life Behind the Headline’.

It’s about how we as news consumers can read more critically, uplift underrepresented voices, and make sense of sensationalist journalism.

15 October here we come!

🗣️ Investigation call-out

I’m looking for people (most likely care experienced, adopted, estranged or bereaved) who have had issues with accessing healthcare due to lack of family medical history.

My @bigissue.com investigation looks to expose the potentially life-altering consequences of this. 👇

💜 @sophiassocials.bsky.social went into foster care as a teenager. Today as Deputy Digital Editor at Big Issue she’s working to change the narrative

💜 This #InternationalWomensDay we’re amplifying the voices of women at Big Issue

Support our mission to end poverty, become a member bit.ly/3QCPf6p

Ezra Collective star Ife Ogunjobi: 'I wouldn't be where I am without youth centres' Award-winning band Ezra Collective met on a youth programme. Such all-important spaces are disappearing, as cash-strapped councils struggle.

Ezra Collective winning the Brit Award for British Group feels like such a huge win for not only a brilliant band, but grassroots youth music programmes too. 💥🎺

Ife Ogunjobi told @bigissue.com last year he “Wouldn’t be where I am today” without them.

Big up Tomorrow's Warriors. 🙌⬇️
bit.ly/41nzZPL

This student was told she'd have to wait until 2043 for an autism assessment Experts say that getting an autism diagnosis can be 'life-changing'. But what if you had to wait nearly two decades for that diagnosis?

This morning Big Issue published my piece on Chloe’s struggle to secure an autism assessment.

🚨Just a few hours after publication, Chloe was directly contacted by Psychiatry UK who apologised and offered to schedule a new assessment.🚨

Journalism creates change. 🙌
www.bigissue.com/life/health/...

This student was told she'd have to wait until 2043 for an autism assessment Experts say that getting an autism diagnosis can be 'life-changing'. But what if you had to wait nearly two decades for that diagnosis?

🚨 Student told to wait 18 YEARS for NHS autism assessment

A University of Oxford student has been told they won’t get an autism diagnosis until 2043 due to severe backlogs. Thousands across the UK face similar waits, with experts warning the delays are denying people vital support.
bit.ly/41zH0yy

🚨 “The Grenfell Tower Inquiry report made 58 recommendations of which 37 were directed at the government. The government accepts the findings of the report and will take forward ALL of the recommendations.”

🎥 Angela Rayner says “I am very sorry” to Grenfell Tower survivors and bereaved families.

I’ve seen a couple of companies start to advertise a ‘Self Defence Class for Women’ to ‘celebrate’ International Women’s Day next week. 🥊

With today’s high levels of gender-based violence, free self defence classes are a great idea… but why are they scheduled for IWD? What message does that send? 🤔

As news breaks about Luis Rubiales being found guilty of kissing Jenni Hermoso without consent @ World Cup, I'm taken aback by the amount of publishers using a picture of the kiss in their articles.

If this were any other legal case, would news outlets be using a picture of an assault taking place?

On Wednesday, Sadiq Khan told me rough sleeping in London will get worse in 2025 before we see an improvement in 2026.

New CHAIN stats published today reveal he’s right. In Oct-Dec 24 we saw a 5% increase in the no. of people rough sleeping, and a 26% annual rise of people on the streets long-term.

The Mayor of @london.gov.uk told the Big Issue he expects street homelessness in the capital to get worse before it gets better but committed to the ‘biggest single investment’ in tackling rough sleeping. 💷

🎥: @sophiassocials.bsky.social
📰: @lgeraghty23.bsky.social
www.bigissue.com/news/housing...

When America sneezes, the world catches a cold, the saying goes. 🤧
So how sick is Donald Trump going to make us? 🇺🇸🇬🇧

As Donald Trump is sworn in as US President, here’s everything you need to know about how his actions and decisions could impact the UK. 🇺🇸🇬🇧
www.bigissue.com/news/politic...

Feeling very lucky to have kicked off Christmas with my longest ever Sky News appearance this morning. 📺

I did three hits (totalling half an hour) and it was particularly special as just 6 hours earlier, I was volunteering with Crisis at Christmas. V glad I was able to mention their work on air.👇

Join me on Sky News this morning for two more paper reviews at 7:45am & 8:45am 📺

Such a privilege to play in the Journalists vs Politicians football match organised by Sadiq Khan at @chelseafcn.bsky.social. ⚽️

We beat the politicians’ team 7-3 💅 but more importantly we all signed up to do a shift with @crisis-uk.bsky.social over Christmas. ❤️

Thanks for having us @london.gov.uk!