John Burn-Murdoch
@jburnmurdoch.ft.com
Columnist and chief data reporter the Financial Times | Stories, stats & scatterplots | [email protected]
📝 ft.com/jbm
📝 ft.com/jbm
Pinned
We’re going to hear lots of stories about which people, policies and rhetoric are to blame for the Democrats’ defeat.
Some of those stories may even be true!
But an underrated factor is that 2024 was an absolutely horrendous year for incumbents around the world 👇 
Some of those stories may even be true!
But an underrated factor is that 2024 was an absolutely horrendous year for incumbents around the world 👇 
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
I just finished a three-year term as an editor at an international relations journal. I began at the start of the LLM era but ended right in the middle of it. Our volume of submissions tripled and our desk reject rate rose to 75%. I have some thoughts.
open.substack.com/pub/hegemon/...
open.substack.com/pub/hegemon/...
The Age of Academic Slop is Upon Us
what happens when AI automates "normal science"?
open.substack.com
January 13, 2026 at 3:38 PM
I just finished a three-year term as an editor at an international relations journal. I began at the start of the LLM era but ended right in the middle of it. Our volume of submissions tripled and our desk reject rate rose to 75%. I have some thoughts.
open.substack.com/pub/hegemon/...
open.substack.com/pub/hegemon/...
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
Debate about London is obscured by the false binaries both sides put on it. Best on it is @jburnmurdoch.ft.com who shows it is both case violent crime down (an undisputed good) & crimes of disorder (shop lifting, snatching) up which affects/is visible to more but far less devastating consequences
January 13, 2026 at 10:29 AM
Debate about London is obscured by the false binaries both sides put on it. Best on it is @jburnmurdoch.ft.com who shows it is both case violent crime down (an undisputed good) & crimes of disorder (shop lifting, snatching) up which affects/is visible to more but far less devastating consequences
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
‘Contra the narrow focus of policymakers on Stem subjects or coding, now more than ever our economy rewards broad skillsets: team players, problem solvers, good communicators and creative thinkers.’ @jburnmurdoch.ft.com
www.ft.com/content/5e25...
www.ft.com/content/5e25...
How to AI-proof your job
The data suggests soft skills more than quantitative competency equal success in a rapidly changing labour market
www.ft.com
January 10, 2026 at 8:16 AM
‘Contra the narrow focus of policymakers on Stem subjects or coding, now more than ever our economy rewards broad skillsets: team players, problem solvers, good communicators and creative thinkers.’ @jburnmurdoch.ft.com
www.ft.com/content/5e25...
www.ft.com/content/5e25...
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
I am extremely confused as to why the UK government and police are saying Grok’s mass-scale CSAM generation is an issue for Ofcom.
This isn’t about X failing to moderate CSAM, which is an Online Safety Act issue. It is about the company and its technology being actively involved in its generation.
This isn’t about X failing to moderate CSAM, which is an Online Safety Act issue. It is about the company and its technology being actively involved in its generation.
January 7, 2026 at 7:37 AM
I am extremely confused as to why the UK government and police are saying Grok’s mass-scale CSAM generation is an issue for Ofcom.
This isn’t about X failing to moderate CSAM, which is an Online Safety Act issue. It is about the company and its technology being actively involved in its generation.
This isn’t about X failing to moderate CSAM, which is an Online Safety Act issue. It is about the company and its technology being actively involved in its generation.
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
As it's the end of 2025, I'm just reposting our 'Outside the box' starter pack.
This features accounts who think across tribal lines. Those on it have ideological sympathies, but are open to different traditions and consider issues on a case-by-case basis.
Shares welcome ;-)
go.bsky.app/HZxZgvh
This features accounts who think across tribal lines. Those on it have ideological sympathies, but are open to different traditions and consider issues on a case-by-case basis.
Shares welcome ;-)
go.bsky.app/HZxZgvh
December 30, 2025 at 11:48 AM
As it's the end of 2025, I'm just reposting our 'Outside the box' starter pack.
This features accounts who think across tribal lines. Those on it have ideological sympathies, but are open to different traditions and consider issues on a case-by-case basis.
Shares welcome ;-)
go.bsky.app/HZxZgvh
This features accounts who think across tribal lines. Those on it have ideological sympathies, but are open to different traditions and consider issues on a case-by-case basis.
Shares welcome ;-)
go.bsky.app/HZxZgvh
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
What are the stories that will define 2026? @jburnmurdoch.ft.com, the FT's chief data reporter, unwraps the big ideas shaping the year ahead.
A little gift from #FTEdit 🎁 Follow for more #FTEditpresents
A little gift from #FTEdit 🎁 Follow for more #FTEditpresents
December 29, 2025 at 9:35 AM
What are the stories that will define 2026? @jburnmurdoch.ft.com, the FT's chief data reporter, unwraps the big ideas shaping the year ahead.
A little gift from #FTEdit 🎁 Follow for more #FTEditpresents
A little gift from #FTEdit 🎁 Follow for more #FTEditpresents
A single party that bridges the ends of the horseshoe
December 20, 2025 at 12:35 PM
A single party that bridges the ends of the horseshoe
Pretty much impossible to place on a unified left-right axis. Economically left, culturally right.
December 20, 2025 at 12:31 PM
Pretty much impossible to place on a unified left-right axis. Economically left, culturally right.
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
This is incredibly obviously going to be the rolling problem with a “tougher” immigration stance. We still need people to do things. And, ultimately, either we hire/retain them or the things don’t get done. Everything else is hollow rhetoric.
Hundreds of foreign prison staff 'offered emergency extension to visa' to stop the prison system collapsing
Hundreds of foreign prison staff 'offered emergency extension to visa' to stop the prison system collapsing
Hundreds of foreign prison staff who could have faced deportation and the sack have been offered an emergency extension to their visa in order to stop the prison system collapsing, Sky News understands.
news.sky.com
December 19, 2025 at 3:39 PM
This is incredibly obviously going to be the rolling problem with a “tougher” immigration stance. We still need people to do things. And, ultimately, either we hire/retain them or the things don’t get done. Everything else is hollow rhetoric.
Yup, really excellent paper on exactly this here www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Prepare developed democracies for long-run economic slowdowns - Nature Human Behaviour
The coming years are likely to see slowing economic growth, which has significant consequences for developed democracies. This Perspective by Burgess et al. considers the implications of slowed growth...
www.nature.com
December 19, 2025 at 8:50 PM
Yup, really excellent paper on exactly this here www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Ooh which book?
December 19, 2025 at 12:15 PM
Ooh which book?
Thanks Paul! And yep demographics are a huge part of this.
December 19, 2025 at 9:34 AM
Thanks Paul! And yep demographics are a huge part of this.
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
This by the excellent @jburnmurdoch.ft.com confirms my view that political trends are being driven by the halting of the upward economic conveyor belt - striking charts: www.ft.com/content/30a4... Welcome to the age of zero-sum politics
Welcome to the age of zero-sum politics
A stalled economic conveyor belt is behind the rise of anti-system, anti-growth parties on both the right and left
www.ft.com
December 19, 2025 at 7:31 AM
This by the excellent @jburnmurdoch.ft.com confirms my view that political trends are being driven by the halting of the upward economic conveyor belt - striking charts: www.ft.com/content/30a4... Welcome to the age of zero-sum politics
Yep, the implications here are fun!
A lot of the people bemoaning the fact that a household can no longer get by on a single [male] income are conservatives who would not love the fact that two things that would allow them to RETVRN are an expanded welfare state and low-skilled immigration.
A lot of the people bemoaning the fact that a household can no longer get by on a single [male] income are conservatives who would not love the fact that two things that would allow them to RETVRN are an expanded welfare state and low-skilled immigration.
December 6, 2025 at 10:16 AM
Yep, the implications here are fun!
A lot of the people bemoaning the fact that a household can no longer get by on a single [male] income are conservatives who would not love the fact that two things that would allow them to RETVRN are an expanded welfare state and low-skilled immigration.
A lot of the people bemoaning the fact that a household can no longer get by on a single [male] income are conservatives who would not love the fact that two things that would allow them to RETVRN are an expanded welfare state and low-skilled immigration.
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
If you're lucky enough to be able to read the @financialtimes.com these evidence-based conversations between @jburnmurdoch.ft.com and @sarahoconnorft.ft.com are particularly fascinating. Here's the latest.
The AI Shift: Is AI about to break polling?
Online surveys are susceptible to bogus respondents and synthetic samples warrant scepticism
www.ft.com
November 28, 2025 at 7:59 AM
If you're lucky enough to be able to read the @financialtimes.com these evidence-based conversations between @jburnmurdoch.ft.com and @sarahoconnorft.ft.com are particularly fascinating. Here's the latest.
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
This is fascinating and disturbing from @jburnmurdoch.ft.com on rise of 'financial nihilism' (cc @aminsamman.bsky.social !) in the asset economy www.ft.com/content/c17a...
The housing crisis is pushing Gen Z into crypto and economic nihilism
Locked out of home ownership, young adults are turning to risky financial behaviour
www.ft.com
November 28, 2025 at 9:04 AM
This is fascinating and disturbing from @jburnmurdoch.ft.com on rise of 'financial nihilism' (cc @aminsamman.bsky.social !) in the asset economy www.ft.com/content/c17a...
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
Starmer and Reeves run probably the most economically left-wing government of past five decades and yet bleeding support to its left thanks to dumb strategy www.economist.com/britain/2025...
November 27, 2025 at 8:58 AM
Starmer and Reeves run probably the most economically left-wing government of past five decades and yet bleeding support to its left thanks to dumb strategy www.economist.com/britain/2025...
• Combo of 1 and 2 means people then perceive the types of views expressed in those sorts of posts as much more widely held, and become more likely to post them themselves
All shown in recent studies.
All shown in recent studies.
November 23, 2025 at 10:37 PM
• Combo of 1 and 2 means people then perceive the types of views expressed in those sorts of posts as much more widely held, and become more likely to post them themselves
All shown in recent studies.
All shown in recent studies.
• Algorithms push things that get strongest reactions (ditto). TikTok-style algorithms based on dwell time as opposed to active likes/shares are especially likely to up-weight negativity towards outgroup
November 23, 2025 at 10:37 PM
• Algorithms push things that get strongest reactions (ditto). TikTok-style algorithms based on dwell time as opposed to active likes/shares are especially likely to up-weight negativity towards outgroup
It’s all of the above, no? Reams of recent evidence that content people encounter on social media is highly polarised.
Several mechanisms empirically demonstrated:
• Instant audience metrics mean stronger incentive to post things you think will get a big reaction (often hostility to outgroup)
Several mechanisms empirically demonstrated:
• Instant audience metrics mean stronger incentive to post things you think will get a big reaction (often hostility to outgroup)
November 23, 2025 at 10:37 PM
It’s all of the above, no? Reams of recent evidence that content people encounter on social media is highly polarised.
Several mechanisms empirically demonstrated:
• Instant audience metrics mean stronger incentive to post things you think will get a big reaction (often hostility to outgroup)
Several mechanisms empirically demonstrated:
• Instant audience metrics mean stronger incentive to post things you think will get a big reaction (often hostility to outgroup)
Absolutely. Advent of audience metrics is a key part of the Noy and Rao cable TV thesis.
November 23, 2025 at 10:21 PM
Absolutely. Advent of audience metrics is a key part of the Noy and Rao cable TV thesis.
More likely my fault!
The dynamics I keep coming back to in my writing are:
1) Explosion of highly engaging entertainment (incl social media) directly displaces time watching straight news
2) New news media doesn’t stay within old terms of debate
3) 1 & 2 lead old media to shift in same direction
The dynamics I keep coming back to in my writing are:
1) Explosion of highly engaging entertainment (incl social media) directly displaces time watching straight news
2) New news media doesn’t stay within old terms of debate
3) 1 & 2 lead old media to shift in same direction
November 23, 2025 at 9:53 PM
More likely my fault!
The dynamics I keep coming back to in my writing are:
1) Explosion of highly engaging entertainment (incl social media) directly displaces time watching straight news
2) New news media doesn’t stay within old terms of debate
3) 1 & 2 lead old media to shift in same direction
The dynamics I keep coming back to in my writing are:
1) Explosion of highly engaging entertainment (incl social media) directly displaces time watching straight news
2) New news media doesn’t stay within old terms of debate
3) 1 & 2 lead old media to shift in same direction
The glorious isolation era of yore is what I’m contrasting to the “everything is flattened into entertainment” era today
November 23, 2025 at 9:35 PM
The glorious isolation era of yore is what I’m contrasting to the “everything is flattened into entertainment” era today