5 Minutes With… Ana de Liz, News Reporter at Global Investigations Review
May 31, 2024
In our 5 minutes with… series we speak to journalists on beats across our key client sectors and explore the hot topics they are tracking, what makes a good story and what makes sources quotable.
In this instalment, we speak with Global Investigations Review’s Ana de Liz.
After graduating from Kingston University with an International Relations and Journalism degree, Ana covered US law firms and corporate law at The Lawyer magazine and has also covered US politics at Newsweek and base metals trading at Fastmarkets.
In her current role at GIR, she covers white collar crime, trials, enforcement, compliance and investigations.
The year ahead: Sanctions and enforcement to dominate
A fly on the wall of GIR’s recent editorial meetings would quickly realise that there is no shortage of stories to track in the world of international investigations and compliance. High among the themes on Ana’s radar are the continuing economic sanctions and international trade repercussions of major global conflicts, as national governments around the world decide how best to respond to acts of aggression.
“I expect sanctions to continue to be a topic of prominence, given the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Palestine. In a related field, challenges to sanctions designations have been very interesting to follow.”
Closer to home (a Barcelona native, Ana now works and lives in London) change at the top of regulatory enforcement bodies is already providing new reporting angles as new brooms seek to make their mark on the white-collar crime and financial services landscape.
“Specifically in the UK, any actions taken by the SFO and the FCA will also be of note given their relatively new directorships in the enforcement space, and I will particularly be keen to follow enforcement or legal action surrounding ESG, environmental crimes and supply chain risk management. Following a couple of cases brought by the NCA in the foreign bribery space, it will be interesting to see if they end up doing more than the SFO in the field.”
The working week
No two weeks are ever the same in the world of media, but covering court hearings and tracking trial developments does provide some semblance of structure. Those aside, a healthy mix of office and remote working suits Ana’s interviewing and writing needs.
“My week is structured for me in the form of court hearings and in-office days when I have meetings. I do like to have some time at home, too, because I find that my writing is at its best when I produce it in quiet, home-like environments.”
The ‘perfect story’
No two stories are ever the same, either and – let’s be honest – some are more fun to work on than others. Fundamentally, however, the hallmarks of a good story are clear: fresh concepts, new developments, and human interest.
“The best stories are those that cover something that hasn’t been covered before, and are led by people, or involve individuals talking about their work. As such, my favourite stories to write are interviews.”
The ‘perfect quote’
Like all seasoned journalists, Ana has seen her fair share of industry insight and expert input. Source quotes range from the genius (a cleverly constructed comparison that simplifies a dense topic or a neat summary that provides the final piece the article jigsaw) through to the dull and tedious (a mere regurgitation of what the audience already knows, with no added value or analysis applied). Not everyone is born to be a spokesperson supremo, but there are guiding principles which should be adhered to.
“The best quotes are the ones that tell us something new about what the person is being quoted on. There’s nothing worse than getting a lawyer’s quote about a new law that just explains or repeats what the law does, for example. Tell us how it changes things, how it evolves the legal field, what is missing, or what the most important thing is in a new development…”
You can access Ana’s reporting for GIR here. Stay tuned for more editions of 5 minutes with…
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