Meet the Team: Ian Tapster (Principal Lecturer in Journalism)

With a career that includes working for the Financial Times, Ian Tapster has a wealth of experience at the forefront of journalism. In the fifth of our series of posts profiling the Journalism team at the University of Portsmouth, Ian reflects on his enthusiasm for politics and his love of Led Zeppelin.

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Name: Ian Tapster

Background / Education: I don’t come from any one particular place as I had a somewhat peripatetic upbringing due to my father’s job as an RAF officer, which meant we were always on the move. I gained a degree in History & Politics from Lancaster University, after which I worked for three years as a mediaeval archaeologist in Newcastle. That was followed by three years as a curator at the British Museum, after which the next logical step was naturally the Financial Times. After five years there, I set up and ran my own financial information company, writing real-time reports on economics, finance, politics and other fluffy topics. I joined the University in 2008.

What is your subject specialism? Initially, I was brought in to teach the NCTJ syllabus for Government in Britain given my background in politics. I have also managed to crowbar aspects of the financial sector into various units over the years, while my focus on ethics stems from having studied political philosophers.

What units do you teach? Current Affairs and Government in Britain at L4, Ethics at L5 and Money, Government & Power at L6. All of them cover really important topics that affect our lives and that any budding journalist should understand — or any undergraduate student for that matter.

What is your favourite place in Portsmouth? The M275 Northbound — I’m not a fan of cities.

What is your favourite book? ‘Triptych’ by Claude Simon. It sounds pretentious, but at least I read it in English and not in French. Totally unique in structure and style. I’m also a big fan of work by de Bernieres, Faulkes, Waugh, Wilde and Wodehouse.

What is your favourite movie and TV show? Casablanca — it’s got everything and everything’s perfect. I don’t watch TV.

What is your favourite album? Too many to say, but the first four Led Zeppelin albums were simply brilliant. Rival Sons are a good modern beat combo.

Cats or Dogs? Both. I have a cat, but we had dogs when I was growing up and I’m seriously considering getting one to help me keep fit.