Award-winning journalist Nick McKenzie on death threats, confirmation bias and the power of insecurity

<p>What if your insecurity was actually your superpower? </p> <p>While confidence is critical in almost any career, it can be a secret killer for journalists. Nick McKenzie is Australia’s most decorated journalist, and he’s adamant that his natural insecurities are a big part of his success. When so much of his reputation and his competence relies on constant fact-checking and corroboration, there’s no such thing as being too nervous. </p> <p>Nick breaks down his strategies for avoiding confirmation bias, which include choosing collaborators with whom he can have “friendly fights''. He also shares his methods for coping with stress - and when he says stress, he means defamation lawsuits and death threats!</p> <p>Connect with Nick on <a href="https://twitter.com/Ageinvestigates">Twitter</a>, or at his <a href="https://www.nickmckenzie.com.au/">website</a>. </p> <p>***</p> <p>My new book Time Wise is out now. You can <a href="https://www.amantha.com/time-wise-book/">grab a copy here</a>.</p> <p> </p> <p>Connect with me on the socials:</p> <p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber/?originalSubdomain=au">Linkedin</a></p> <p><a href="https://twitter.com/amantha?lang=en">Twitter</a></p> <p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/amanthai/?hl=en">Instagram</a> </p> <p> </p> <p>If you’re looking for more tips to improve the way you work, I write a fortnightly newsletter that contains three cool things I have discovered that help me work better, which range from interesting research findings through to gadgets I am loving. You can sign up for that at <a href="http://howiwork.co">http://howiwork.co</a></p> <p>Visit <a href="https://www.amantha.com/podcast">https://www.amantha.com/podcast</a> for full show notes from all episodes.</p> <p>Get in touch at <a href="mailto:amantha@inventium.com.au">amantha@inventium.com.au</a></p> <p> </p> <p>CREDITS</p> <p>Produced by <a href="https://www.inventium.com.au">Inventium</a></p> <p>Host: <a href="https://www.amantha.com">Amantha Imber</a></p> <p>Production