Journalist Spotlight: James Wright, Daily Star

James Wright is the new Daily Star online chief gaming reporter. He speaks to us about how he is settling into his new role, what his gaming predictions are for 2016, and how he likes to work with PRs. 

You’ve recently become the Daily Star online’s chief gaming reporter. How are you enjoying your new role? It’s been fantastic. The team are great, the office is a really friendly place to work and I’m really excited to expand this section of the site into new areas.

How much difference is there writing for online compared to a magazine like ZOO, where you were news & games editor? Obviously it’s very different because one is daily and the other is weekly, but the crux is that both jobs rely on having good ideas and a focus on how to deliver a certain piece of news. The biggest change is being able to see, thanks to Google Analytics, exactly how well a specific piece is being received online.

Has the audience you’re writing for changed much with the move? Well, yes. No two publications will have the same audience. Both thankfully are hungry for accessible, intriguing video games coverage and that’s the audience who I’m writing for. As long as people keep coming back to the site, then I’ll be happy.

You also work as a freelance journalist. Can you tell us a bit about how that compares with your job at the Daily Star and how you juggle the two? Well, I freelanced for a while in the past, but for ZOO and now at the Star, all my effort and attention goes into this job and making sure I’m doing the best work possible. Especially now as I look to carve out something special with the Star’s gaming section.

What are your gaming predictions for 2016 – what will be big this year? VR (virtual reality) will be huge, but could bomb depending on pricing. If it’s to have any chance it needs to be around the £200-300 mark max. PS4 has some great exclusives: Uncharted 4 and Horizon: Zero Dawn and the Nintendo NX reveal. After the disappointment of the Wii-U, which hasn’t set the world alight, it could be a big roll of the dice.

How do you work with PRs and what advice would you give to PR professionals? Emails, calls and texts. I’m always happy to take a call from a PR.

What sort of press material are you looking for? Anything and everything, the worst thing I can do is say it’s not one for me. Offer it all up and let me sieve through what’s useful or relevant.