Hope Talbot

I'm Hope Talbot, a freelance journalist and copywriter from the UK. I have bylines in The Independent, Euronews, and The Daily Express. I frequently write about politics, and inequality, as well as climate and sustainability. I have a strong background in local reporting, having worked with Bristol24/7 for several years on a freelance basis. As a copywriter, I have written for companies across the construction, tech and agricultural industries, most notably for Stratton Craig. 


I am currently based in New York City, pursuing an MS in Journalism at Columbia University. I have a BA in History from the University of Bristol. I was previously Editor-in-Chief of The Bristorian, based out of the University of Bristol Humanities Department. 

The Daily Dot •

Former GOP congressman's $2.5 million GoFundMe trolled over his anti-Obamacare vote

Left-wing trolls bombarded a GoFundMe page for Michael Grimm, a former Republican congressman when he experienced a life-altering injury.  In September, Grimm was paralyzed from the waist down after he was thrown from a horse during a polo tournament.A former Marine and FBI agent, the 54-year-old previously represented Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn before resigning in January 2015 after being convicted of tax evasion. Following conviction, Grimm served eight months in prison.  Grimm...
The Daily Dot •

TextNow, app used to send racist post-election texts, faces complaints it enables stalking, harassment

In the immediate aftermath of the 2024 election, Black Americans received texts telling them it was time to “report” for slavery.  The messages said recipients should “board a van” that would transport them to a “plantation” to work as slaves. Black men, women, and children in at least 14 states reported getting texts. These messages come as Black Americans fear the aftermath of a resounding electoral victory for President-elect Donald Trump, who has previously and frequently been accused of...
Columbia News Service •

Is There a Political Divide Between Immigrants and Their Children?

At a Trump rally in Long Island in September, an elderly woman who was born in Japan held a sign that read “Trump Chosen By God.” Next to her, a younger Japanese woman handed out fliers for an organization called “Japanese Americans for Trump.” They are two of the tens of millions of Americans who immigrated to the United States from other countries and became naturalized citizens—and who plan to vote for Donald Trump. This election cycle, 3.5 million newly naturalized American citizens will be...
The Daily Dot •

EXCLUSIVE: Tina Forte, AOC's House challenger, sued after her pit bull attacked a neighbor's child

Tina Forte, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s (D-N.Y.) Republican opponent for New York’s 14th District, is being sued for damages after her pit bull attacked her neighbor’s child.  Plaintiffs allege that in February 2023, Forte’s dog, named Brownie, jumped the fence separating the properties in Nanuet, New York, and went after a young child playing in the backyard. The pit bull allegedly bit the child on her face and body, inflicting “serious physical injuries.” The plaintiffs also allege tha...
CJS Reporting Insider •

South Bronx Community Garden Battles Food Insecurity as Gentrification Intensifies

It’s a blazing hot summer afternoon in the South Bronx. As police sirens blare in the distance and a helicopter hovers over traffic lanes, a couple moves calmly through a patch of raised garden beds. Nancy Ortiz-Suran and her husband, Demetrio Suran, co-organizers of the urban farm La Finca Del Sur, tend to the leafy greens and ripe tomatoes nearly falling from the vine. The hum of bees fills the air as suited beekeepers prepare for harvest nearby.
Columbia News Service •

New Yorkers Demonstrate on Campus and in the Streets on October 7 Anniversary - Columbia News Service

On the one-year anniversary of October 7, New York City experienced a wave of protests across Manhattan, stretching from Columbia University’s Morningside campus, to Washington Square Park, all the way down to Wall Street. There were no reports of violence, but one group said that they redirected events in response to threats from others.    The day marks one year since Hamas-led attacks on Israel, which resulted in 1,200 deaths and 250 hostages taken. Since then, the Israel-Hamas war has seen d...
Bristol24/7 •

Dimbleby endorses Debbonaire in Bristol Central

Massive Attack and Hugh Grant have already endorsed Carla Denyer in Bristol Central.Now, journalist and author Jonathan Dimbleby, who lives in Hotwells, has broken his decades-long commitment to impartiality, choosing to endorse Labour candidate Thangam Debbonaire at the upcoming general election. Feeling disillusioned in the wake of “substantial political failures by the Conservatives”, Dimbleby has decided to back Debbonaire on July 4.Dimbleby, the newly announced chair of the Bristol Beacon b...
Bristol24/7 •

Man dies after being found critically ill in alleyway

A man has sadly died after being found in a critically ill condition in the early hours of Friday morning.Ambulance staff were treating the man in an alleyway within the Old City before he was pronounced dead at the scene. A police cordon remained in place on Friday encompassing parts of Broad Street, Small Street, Bell Lane and Leonard Lane.A police spokesperson said: “We were called to support paramedics who were treating a man who had been found critically ill in an alley off Small Street, Br...
Bristol24/7 •

Tory Bristol North West candidate Laura Saunders urged to stand down

Politicians from across the political spectrum have called on the Tory candidate in Bristol North West to be suspendedIt comes as the husband of Laura Saunders has been revealed to be the Conservative Party’s director of campaigning with the couple now both being looked into over an alleged bet relating to the timing of the general election. Saunders’ husband, Tony Lee, has now taken a leave of absence and left the campaign as Saunders is investigated by the Gambling Commission.A statement relea...
Bristol24/7 •

Ed Miliband lays out Labour's energy agenda during Bristol visit

Having already been joined on the campaign trail by Keir Starmer, Sadiq Khan and Dale Vince, a visit to a company in St Philip’s on Thursday morning saw Thangam Debbonaire joined by Ed Miliband.The shadow secretary of state for climate change and net zero accompanied his shadow cabinet colleague to the headquarters of Matter to promote Labour’s climate and energy agenda. “I’m incredibly proud of our plans,” Miliband told Bristol24/7. “If a Labour government is elected, we will have the most ambi...
Bristol24/7 •

Bristol's first Japanese-inspired 'listening cafe' opens

A cafe which is inspired by Japanese ‘listening bars’ has opened its doors.The idea for Lonely Mouth is to talk less and listen more with thoughtful sound placement given the first priority. The new opening on 401 Gloucester Road is the business’ first bricks and mortar premises following pop-up residencies at the Volunteer Tavern in St Jude’s and the Plough in Easton.Owner and head chef Olivia Maxwell-Yates was inspired by a visit to Tokyo where she explored vibrant listening bars and sampled t...
Express.co.uk •

Fury as 'green' council accused of mowing down community's flower meadow

Locals are "livid" after a wildflower meadow planted by volunteers was allegedly mowed down and destroyed by a city council - which is dominated by Green Party councillors.Residents have expressed "horror'" over the destruction of the meadow between Knowle West and Bedminster in Bristol - especially as it was only recently planted and was entering its "prime".While no political party has total control of Bristol City Council, the Greens are the largest single party by far - with some 34 of the...
Bristol 24/7 •

Debbonaire: 'I've worked hard to be engaged with the people I represent'

The Memorial Stadium is not within the newly created Bristol Central constituency but it was here that Keir Starmer joined Thangam Debbonaire on the Labour leader’s first visit to Bristol during this general election campaign. If Starmer becomes prime minister in July, then Debbonaire could join his cabinet as minister for culture and sport. But first, the former professional cellist needs to regain her slightly redrawn seat, where she is up against Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer. “I’m ne
Bristol 24/7 •

Dale Vince in Hotwells to campaign for 'green government'

Green energy industrialist and campaigner Dale Vince has urged people in Bristol Central to vote for Labour as “the only party that can form a green government” in the upcoming general election. “For the first time, the Labour Party gets the green agenda,” said Ecotricity founder Vince as he joined Thangam Debbonaire in Hotwells. “This is a historic opportunity.” But Green Party co-leader, Carla Denyer, who is tipped to take Bristol Central from Debbonaire, said that “sticking the word ‘green’
Bristol 24/7 •

Starmer visits Memorial Stadium to pledge football governance reforms

Keir Starmer visited Bristol Rovers’ Memorial Stadium on Monday, promising to put fans “front and centre” with the newly announced Football Governance Bill. The bill aims to give the Independent Football Regulator power to settle financial distribution disputes between the Premier League and the English Football League. The bill also hopes to prevent a Super League-style breakaway from the top of the football pyramid. On his visit to the Mem, the Labour leader was joined by Thangam Debbonaire
Bristol 24/7 •

27 'intrusive' advertising screens firmly refused by Bristol Council

Proposals for the 27 units received 750 objections in total from local people. Planning officers refused the units on the grounds that they would add street clutter, cause accessibility issues, and harm road safety by distracting drivers. The BT Street Hub units are 1.25 metres wide by 3 metres tall, with a digital advertising display on each side that can show up to six brightly lit adverts per minute. Adblock Bristol, a local campaign group that mobilised objections to the units, says the w
Bristol24/7 •

Rose Hulse: 'Labour doesn't own Bristol'

Rose Hulse is determined to prove the polls wrong.The Conservative candidate in the newly created Bristol North East constituency is a successful businesswoman who is originally from California. She has spent her career working in media, sales and production, across the likes of the Hollywood Reporter, NBC Universal and The Sundance Institute.In 2012, Hulse launched her own brand, ScreenHits Limited. Focusing on providing media tech, ScreenHits TV allows subscribers to integrate all their stream...
Bristol 24/7 •

'Society of Merchant Venturers should play no part in the education of children'

The MP for Bristol South has slammed the Society of Merchant Venturers, saying they “should play no part in the education of children” following a damning Ofsted report into a school sponsored by the organisation. In a highly critical statement, Karin Smyth said the Venturers Trust, which runs Merchants’ Academy and is sponsored by the Merchants Venturers and the University of Bristol, has “let down students in one of the most deprived areas of Bristol, denying them a good-quality education”.
The Bristorian •

Colston has been removed from the University Crest…now what? — The Bristorian

By Hope Talbot, Editor-in-Chief of the Bristorian, 3rd Year History In a statement last month, the University chose to remove symbols associated with slave trader Edward Colston from its crest. After this decision, how will the University continue to represent its histories? The Bristorian discusses the future of the crest alongside Dr. Richard Stone. Cities are obsessed by the stories they tell about themselves. Bristol is no exception. Renowned for its sea-faring ways, the city basks in a vi
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