Alex Massie (journalist)

Alex Massie (born 1 July 1974) is a Scottish freelance journalist commentator based in Edinburgh. He is Scotland editor for The Spectator, and writes a political column for The Times and The Sunday Times.[1] He is also a regular contributor to ITV Border, BBC Television and BBC Radio.

Early life

The son of the journalist Allan Massie, Massie was educated at St. Mary's School, Melrose, Glenalmond College in Perthshire and at Trinity College Dublin, where he edited T.C.D. Miscellany. He was also an active member of the University Philosophical Society, one of the college's main debating societies. Massie applied to Cambridge University twice and was rejected both times.[2]

In 1997, he won the John Smith Memorial Mace debating competition, speaking with Matthew Magee and representing the University Philosophical Society. Formerly The Observer Mace, the competition was renamed in 1995 and is run by the English-Speaking Union.

Career

Massie is Scotland editor of The Spectator, a columnist for the Scottish edition of The Times, and a regular contributor to Border Television as well as BBC Television and Radio. Prior to this, he edited a political blog, The Debatable Land.[3]

He was previously Washington correspondent for The Scotsman and assistant editor of Scotland on Sunday. He has also written for The Washington Post, Politico, The Daily Telegraph, The New Republic, Foreign Policy, The Sunday Times, The Daily Beast,[4] the Los Angeles Times, the Scottish Daily Mail, National Review Online, The Sunday Telegraph, The New York Times,[5] The American Conservative, Time, Bloomberg Businessweek, The Observer, the New Statesman, The Big Issue, Slate, CapX, the Irish Independent, Newsweek and The Sunday Business Post. Since January 2009[6] he has written a blog[7] that is published by The Spectator.[8] In 2012 he was short-listed in the blog section for the Orwell Prize for political writing.[9]

On 18 January 2014, Massie appeared in a BBC Referendum debate as an 'undecided voter'.[10] On 27 August 2015, Massie wrote an article for The Times titled 'BBC 'bias' against independence was essential'.[11]

In November 2018, Massie wrote an article for The Spectator suggesting that France should reasonably honour Philippe Pétain for his service in World War I separating his legacy of service from his later career as the head of the collaborationist regime of Vichy France, from 1940 to 1944, during World War II.[12] He wrote the book reviews for the 2020 edition of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack.[1]

In a January 2021 opinion piece titled "Self-ID is a fantasy that hurts trans people", Massie claimed: "We pretend that women can — and do — commit rape… In England and Wales 436 male-bodied sex offenders were classified as women from 2012 to 2018." The article was later ruled to be inaccurate by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), following which The Times published a correction.[13]

Personal life

Massie plays for Selkirk Cricket Club and supports Scottish football side Heart of Midlothian.[14]

References
  1. Alex Massie, "Cricket Books in 2019", Wisden Cricketers' Almanack 2020, pp. 117–37.
  2. "The Unbearable Self-Pity of Britain's Rich and Privileged - Spectator Blogs". 26 January 2013.
  3. "The Debatable Land". The Debatable Land.
  4. "Alex Massie". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  5. Massie, Alex (11 May 2010). "Britain's Coalition of Pain". The New York Times.
  6. Administrator (27 January 2009). "Massie Blog Moving to Spectator". Allmediascotland.com. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  7. "Alex Massie joins Spectator.co.uk". The Spectator. 20 January 2009. Archived from the original on 16 April 2009. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  8. Massie, Alex (26 November 2013). "Nine points behind — has Alex Salmond lost before he's begun?". The Week. Retrieved 27 November 2013.
  9. "Orwell Prize 2012 Shortlists Announced". The Orwell Prize. 24 April 2012. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  10. "18 01 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum Debate Greenock". Youtube. 24 January 2016.
  11. Massie, Alex (27 August 2015). "BBC 'bias' against independence was essential". The Times.
  12. Massie, Alex (10 November 2018). "Should France honour Nazi collaborator Petain?". The Spectator.
  13. Wakefield, Lily (7 January 2022). "The Times forced to issue corrections after spreading 'anti-trans' misinformation". Pink News.
  14. Massie, Alex (31 August 2009). "Megrahi Release Explained: He's a Rangers Fan". The Spectator. Archived from the original on 4 September 2009.
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