Alex Massie (journalist)

Alex Massie
Born	(1974-07-01) July 1, 1974 United Kingdom
Occupation(s)	Journalist, political commentator
Known for	Scotland editor at The Spectator, contributor to The Times and The Sunday Times, appearances on ITV Border and BBC

Alex Massie (born 1 July 1974) is a journalist from the United Kingdom who operates out of Edinburgh. He holds the position of Scotland editor at The Spectator and contributes political commentary to both The Times and The Sunday Times. Massie frequently appears on ITV Border, as well as on BBC Television and BBC Radio platforms.

Early life

Massie, the son of journalist Allan Massie, received his education at St. Mary's School, Melrose, followed by Glenalmond College in Perthshire, and later attended Trinity College Dublin. During his time at Trinity, he took on the role of editor for T.C.D. Miscellany and was actively involved in the University Philosophical Society. Despite applying twice, he was unsuccessful in gaining admission to Cambridge University.

In 1997, representing the University Philosophical Society, Massie and Matthew Magee won the John Smith Memorial Mace debating contest. This event, previously known as The Observer Mace, is organised by the English-Speaking Union.

Career

Currently serving as Scotland editor for The Spectator, Massie also writes columns for the Scottish edition of The Times and regularly contributes to Border Television and BBC media outlets. His previous roles include editing the political blog The Debatable Land, acting as Washington correspondent for The Scotsman, and serving as assistant editor at Scotland on Sunday. His articles have been featured in numerous prominent publications such as The Washington Post, Politico, The Daily Telegraph, Foreign Policy, The New Republic, The Sunday Times, The Daily Beast, Los Angeles Times, National Review Online, The New York Times, Time, and Bloomberg Businessweek.

Since January 2009, Massie has maintained a blog hosted by The Spectator. In 2012, his political blogging earned him a place on the shortlist for the Orwell Prize.

Massie took part in a BBC discussion during the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, presenting himself as an 'undecided voter'. In 2015, he authored pieces in The Times addressing the perceived bias of the BBC against Scottish independence. In 2018, writing for The Spectator, he argued that France should separate Philippe Pétain’s distinguished World War I military service from his subsequent leadership in the collaborationist Vichy government.

He also contributed reviews of books to the 2020 edition of the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack.

In January 2021, an opinion article by Massie concerning gender self-identification was later deemed inaccurate by the Independent Press Standards Organisation, prompting a correction published by The Times.

Personal life

Massie is an active player for Selkirk Cricket Club and is a supporter of Scottish football team Heart of Midlothian.

External links

• Alex Massie's blog at The Spectator