Meet the Staff Writer

Happy Saturday! Today we'd like to introduce another one of our staff writers, Jack McClelland !

• What motivated you to join Spheres of Influence?

Having recently finished my Master’s, I wanted to keep my writing skills sharp, and I found that Spheres of Influence’s mission aligned strongly with my values.

• What have you gained from the role?

Writing for Spheres has given me the tools and the confidence to pitch and develop my own stories on a variety of topics, but especially analyzing global news from a decolonial lens. That has pushed me to think critically about my writing choices, both in terms of accessible language and more generally what topics are deemed news-worthy. This role has also challenged me to step outside of my area-specific knowledge of Russia and post-Soviet countries, giving me the chance to develop nuanced analyses of pertinent issues across the globe.

• What is your favourite article to date, and why?

My favourite article to work on was probably The Spy Next Door, an interview-based analysis of Canada’s pitch to the public earlier this year for a domestic “Foreign agent” law. It was a fun opportunity to get into the weeds on a topic I found fascinating, on both a local (Canadian) and global level. It was also a great opportunity to interview an expert to look at comparable laws in the post-Soviet sphere, and then to craft a story around her expertise!

• What do you want to work on most as part of SOI?

Going forward I’m excited to incorporate more interviews into my articles. I feel like Sphere of Influence has boosted my confidence in being able to conduct interviews and then given me the tools to build articles around one or two interviews, so I’m excited to sharpen this skill in my articles ahead!

• What’s one thing not many people know about you?

I am an avid Formula 1 fan!