Founders have a lot of opinions about the media
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A new survey from The Entrepreneurs Network, supported by Pathos Communications, has revealed insights into the UK’s entrepreneurial landscape: founders are eager for a richer, more rounded national conversation about entrepreneurship.
Out of Focus reveals that almost sixty percent of founders disagreed that journalists generally do a good job covering entrepreneurship, with twelve percent agreeing.
This matters because, as the research notes, “the pace of economic change and rising public interest in entrepreneurship have only heightened the importance of accurate, balanced reporting.” Britain stands at a point where entrepreneurship is central to debates about innovation, productivity and growth. The stories told in national media help shape perceptions of risk-taking, economic dynamism and opportunity. The report argues that this is precisely why a more expansive conversation would “serve both business and the public interest.”
Founders do not believe this requires a dramatic overhaul. Many acknowledged that journalists operate under pressure and cannot possibly tell every story. A recurring sentiment was that there is enormous untapped potential – and that a broader range of voices and experiences could make the national conversation more vibrant, more realistic and more representative of Britain’s economic strengths.
Founders also recognized their own responsibilities in shaping how they appear in the media. When asked whether entrepreneurs represent themselves effectively, more disagreed than agreed. Many said they want to learn how to tell their stories more clearly and openly.
One founder said that “too often the focus is on tech unicorns or celebrity entrepreneurs,” but framed this not as a complaint – rather as a call for the media to share more stories about “the vast majority of small and medium-sized businesses that create jobs and drive local economies.” Another founder urged journalists to “broaden coverage beyond venture-backed startups raising large rounds,” noting that immigrant founders, bootstrapped companies and small businesses generate enormous economic and social value.
Many argued that showcasing the realities of building a business — whether navigating bureaucracy, making early hires or solving operational problems — would enrich public understanding of innovation.
This feeling was echoed when founders discussed how Britain talks about success. One founder said, “we need a culture of celebrating success in entrepreneurship.” Founders expressed a desire for a national narrative that reflects the personal risk and hard work involved in creating jobs and developing new products — and for media coverage that feels aligned with these ambitions.
Where founders did express frustration, it tended to be about missed opportunities rather than criticism. One wrote that journalists often “only talk with a few larger company leaders,” suggesting that expanding the pool of people interviewed would offer more nuanced insights into how the economy is changing. Another noted that “sectors such as fintech and consumer apps receive disproportionate attention,” while healthcare technology, clean energy, advanced manufacturing and education — sectors critical to Britain’s future — feature less often.
Omar Hamdi from Pathos Communications encounters these dynamics daily. The company, which is preparing for an AIM listing, works at the intersection of entrepreneurs and journalists. He said: “Over the last seven years, we’ve talked to thousands of editors and more than 300,000 entrepreneurs. They’d never meet (and the stories would never get published) without us – so backing serious research into how to fast-track that matchmaking was the obvious next step. We wanted to understand what both sides of that relationship need, so we can help deliver it. The results were eye-opening.”
Hamdi’s point is not that the media is failing, but that there is enormous latent demand for connection — and that both sides stand to benefit when it happens.
The report concludes that “a better-informed, more balanced media landscape would serve both business and the public interest.” Founders are not asking for exemption from scrutiny or to be showered with praise, but simply greater accuracy, curiosity and breadth from journalists covering startups. They believe that if the UK wants more people to start businesses, innovate and take risks, then the stories we tell about entrepreneurship must reflect what truly happens inside companies of all sizes, in all regions and across all industries.