About

Journalists are often told they must remain impartial. But I believe objectivity is a fallacy. To paraphrase a prominent political theorist, ‘writing is always for someone and some purpose’. We are all a product of our culture; things that we take for granted as irrefutable truths would be considered patently false in other cultures and moments of history. Our personal experiences inform our worldview and both of these are implicitly transmitted when we write, even if it is often subtle and subconscious.

Instead of hiding behind the false façade of objectivity, I believe it is better to openly acknowledge the biases in my writing. As a starting point, my work is always critical of a status quo which is demonstrably classist, racist and sexist, and dominated by the concentrated power of vested interests. I see my writing as part of the counter-hegemony. If all writing must be for someone and some purpose, mine is for the subjugated and the oppressed, and its purpose is positive change. Hence the moniker, the Rose-tinted analyst.

My real name is Joe Turnbull and I am a culture critic and political journalist who has written for The Guardian, Frieze, Apollo Magazine, a-n News, Red Pepper, House Magazine, this is tomorrow, Garageland and The Upcoming. I’m currently subeditor over at Disability Arts Online. I used to be the Politics Editor at Inky Needles and Publications Editor for Art Map London as well as subeditor for two emerging culture magazines, Novel and Gorilla Film.

My work often explores the lines of intersect between politics and culture, looking not just at overtly political art, but at the politics of cultural production and reception. I am particularly interested in the concepts of hegemony and counter-culture.