Alex Blair

"Alex possesses personal qualities essential for sustained scholarly excellence. He is enormously committed to research in media, communication, Critical Discourse Studies, immigration, and human rights. Overall, he is intellectually brave and courageous, willing to challenge prevailing orthodoxies, whilst conducting scrupulous and through research to ensure objectivity and fairness. I am equally impressed by Alex, as a colleague at Garden Court North Chambers. He has been most impressive in his work managing communications at the Chambers, regularly liaising with national and international media, and organising a range of events including the highly successful North-West Migrants' Rights Conference. He has been highly supportive of my work as the UN Special Rapporteur on Iran, taking a personal interest in the human rights situation in Iran."

- Professor Javaid Rehman (Former UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran)

"Throughout the time Alex worked on my team, he showed himself to be a hard-working, conscientious and talented journalist. His research was thorough, he had a firm grasp of journalistic ethics, and his writing was of a consistently high standard. I would also note that his conduct for the organisation was excellent, he was a valuable and popular member of the team, and that it was a pleasure to manage him as an individual."

- Stu Robarts (Thematic Editor at GlobalData Media)

"Alex is a student that one does not easily forget. Sharp and inquisitive, he distinguished himself in one of the large generalist first year modules by making sophisticated remarks on the theory of signs. I was then pleased to teach him for three years on a variety of English Language modules in which he was consistently a top performer. Of particular interest was a demanding Semiotics module that offered Alexander the level of intellectual challenge that he rejoices in and makes him shine. He achieved a high first (80%) in his final assignment, which he then transformed into a journal article on photojournalistic representations of COP26 and climate change, which received praise from a leading scholar in Ecolinguistics during the review phase.

Alex matches proficiencies in researching, writing, and structuring publications to the highest academic standards alongside the capability to consistently meet deadlines while managing multiple projects at once. He is also able to interview, translate between, and write in Spanish and English - demonstrating acute awareness of intercultural difference, honed through extensive travelling in Europe and South America."

- Professor Caterina Guardamagna (University of Liverpool)

"After years working with journalists, PR and media, I genuinely have to say that I found Alex smart, organised, respectful, adept, knowledgeable, professional, an excellent listener, articulate and indeed bl**dy switched on … oh yes very clever. And I nearly forgot - a tactical thread weaver!"

- John Benson-Smith (Food Strategist & Former MasterChef Judge)

"Alex was a high-achieving student, who excelled across a variety of English Language modules, winning the Academic Achievement Award for an exceptional assignment on photojournalistic representations of COP26 and climate change, and receiving the James E. Cross Award for the highest grade in his cohort. He became an integral part of our research project which I coordinated alongside professors, honorary fellows, and students from the Department of Languages, Cultures and Film, helping to set up bilingual social media channels, writing academic materials for these channels and the website, and translating content between English and Spanish."

- Professor Lisa Shaw (University of Liverpool)

"Alex is a highly talented writer, with an excellent flair for language and content. From researching through to editing and publishing the finished article, he brings a great deal of self-motivation and initiative, with an analytical approach to both functional and thematic or topical issues. His flair for writing is also strongly complemented by his confident and professional interviewing skills."

- Sam Smith (Marketing Director at Klipspringer Ltd)

"Alex is a brilliant wordsmith whose storytelling prowess and journalistic acumen are unparalleled. I was always impressed whenever I had the pleasure of reviewing and editing his pieces. He has a unique ability to dive deep into varied topics, making each piece a compelling read. His dedication to high-quality investigative journalism shines through, making Alex a standout writer in the field."

- Saiesha Singh (Lead Editor at The Borgen Project)

"Working with Alex over the past year, I can honestly say he's been a revelation to our content team. From initial briefing to final delivery, Alex takes great time and effort in his research, interviews and writing - he will be a huge asset to any content team going forward. Thank you Alex!"

- Chris Turner (Videographer & Digital Technical Specialist at Klipspringer Ltd)