Overview 🔎

An editor at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) blog invited me to contribute an article after reading my previous co-authored work, Fairtrade Wine in South Africa: Does Fairtrade Labelling Guarantee Social Upgrading for Farmworkers? Recognising the broader relevance of this research, he believed it would make a strong addition to the LSE blog. This opportunity allowed me to adapt an academic study, originally published in the Journal of Southern African Studies, into an engaging piece for a wider audience.

Project Details 🤝

The LSE blog reaches 45,000 readers per month, including journalists, policymakers, and academics. Unlike academic writing, which follows a structured progression from introduction to evidence and conclusions, blog writing requires an immediate “hook” to capture attention. This stylistic shift meant presenting the key findings first before providing context. Thanks to prior training from The Conversation on media writing, I was well-prepared to navigate this transition. My final piece, Fairtrade Wine in South Africa is Rife with Inequality and Poor Working Conditions, distilled complex research into an accessible, journalistic format.

Results ✨

The article successfully translated academic insights into a widely accessible format, opening up discussions on Fairtrade certification, labour conditions, and inequality in South Africa’s wine industry. Given the LSE blog’s reach, the piece was positioned to influence key stakeholders in policy, media, and academia.

Conclusion 💥

This project reinforced my ability to bridge the gap between academic research and public discourse. It also highlighted the importance of adapting writing styles to different audiences, ensuring that critical research reaches and impacts broader communities beyond academia.