Joshua Nelken-Zitser

Correspondent

Business Insider

Joshua Nelken-Zitser is a correspondent at Business Insider in London and the author of Trauma Bonds, which will be published by Mudlark, an imprint of HarperCollins, on 14 January 2027. In this Q&A he traces the great-uncle whose journey into journalism inspired his own, the early lesson in decency that still shapes his reporting, and what it meant to finally write a book.

The Interview

Meet
Joshua Nelken-Zitser

What inspired you to pursue your current career path?
My great-uncle, Wilf, arrived in the UK on the Kindertransport when he was ten. Orphaned, penniless, and unable to speak English, he nevertheless went on to become a journalist. His journey from refugee child to journalist has always inspired me, not least because he entered a profession dedicated to giving people a voice at a time when, back home in Nazi Germany, so many voices had been silenced.
What lesson from your first job still guides you today?
At my first job, a senior journalist told me that much of their success came from being kind to everyone they worked with. It's advice I still try to follow: ask the receptionist how their day is going, offer to get coffee with the intern, and lend a hand when needed. Success built on decency is often more rewarding than success driven by ruthless ambition.
How do you define success in your current position?
Every time a source tells me they feel seen, or a reader says they are shocked to have learned something new, I count that as a success.
What's one piece of advice you'd give to someone building expertise?
Don't be afraid to ask a source the "stupid" questions. While they might feel embarrassing to ask at the time, that's how you can really, truly understand something you're not yet an expert on.
How do you see your profession evolving in the next few years?
It's both exciting and terrifying to see what the future of journalism holds. My hope is that there are still plenty of jobs for journalists and that AI is more of a friend than a foe, but only time will tell.
What accomplishment are you most proud of?
I'm really proud to have written a book. It's a goal I've had for as long as I can remember, and a process which wasn't without its difficulties, but which I'm so proud of myself for having finally done.