The top 10 maritime media personalities of 2022

Tis the season for year-end polls and lists. Santosh Patil has his own take.

The season of Top 10 this and that in maritime and in other industries is finally here as we come close to the year end. Such lists are quite popular worldwide especially in the western culture where these are often used to influence decision making.

It is an interesting collection of industry wide recognition and celebration for some while others see this as an attempt to create what Elon Musk would call a ‘lords and peasants’ culture. Anyone who doesn’t make the cut is summarily looked down upon as a ‘non-blue-tick’ maritime nobody – be it a professional or an organisation. This is corroborated by the Mathew S. Isaac and Robert M. Schindler article in the Journal of Consumer Research (April 2014) – ‘people exhibit a so-called “top 10 effect”: lumping things into round-number groups and viewing everything outside them as inferior’. The article further argues that there may be marginal differences between the no 10 & 11, but consumers tender to exaggerate the differences against those beyond the round number.

Frankly this author has never understood the significance of any such rankings. Apart from chewing them over a few minutes and using it to get more post views and social media likes, they serve little purpose. Perhaps a quick survey on ‘where did you keep your Top X publication of 2021’ could provide some answers on its utility value.

While such lists are quite exhaustive and cover most aspects of any industry sector, one doesn’t come across at a list which lists maritime media personalities. So, perhaps it’s a good time to publish a list of top media personalities of 2022.

Caveat lector – Unlike other prestigious lists which are curated by reputed professionals tapping their keyboards away to glory and in some cases, elbow bending into their last lines; this is admittedly a rushed-up solitary exercise in the company of an ‘old monk’ who fortified this feeble spirit.

Some would argue that such rankings can be subjective at times and chosen by a clique who have nothing to answer. On the point of having nothing to answer – let’s begin. The list is in no particular order and is merely an imagination of a befuddled nobody.

Lord Twist – The OG of the maritime sector also lords over the maritime space on microblogging site Cribber. He is, without doubt, deservedly perched high on the movers and shakers in the industry. Make a mistake by not inviting him and you’ll pay dearly. Often seen virtue signalling the maritime world and talking down international regulators for not doing enough.

Lord Brakewinds – His Lordship is known to be choosy in who appears in his hallowed webspace and has shown preference for a particular kind of appearance. Will rather publish the same face thrice or more rather than publishing lesser mortals who are not worthy enough. Don’t be surprised if you see the same faces appearing 365 days a year.

Duke of SeaPaid – A little frail these days and his popularity is waning, nevertheless still has enough strength and marks his presence from time to time.

Commoner DashWater – An upstart who projects more energy than a squirrel, is sometimes seen at exotic locations hobnobbing with top shipping executives. Likes to pose on a seafront with a glass of wine. His lack of peerage however is sometimes scoffed at – by some maritime media elites.

Something for Sea – The Queen of the Aegean is often seen active at events, exhibitions and such opportunities. She is not overtly aggressive but still fairly known in the industry.

Mainly Executive – Reaching out from across the Atlantic he prides over his digital and social media metrics but is particularly famous for his life size C-suite profiles but not much beyond.

All Management International – More than his publications, he is extremely well known for his large-scale events attended by who’s who of the industry. If networking is what you wish don’t miss his events.

Earl of Airplay – Having hung his boots sometime back he is still remembered enough to be on this list.

Count RiverSea – Offers a bouquet catering to all things maritime covering mostly everyone. Take your pick depending on your choice of segment.

Mr Regional – This spot is reserved for all those regional maritime media publications who aim to thrive by providing specific coverage which is often missed by the big daddies. He is easy to work with and is not very uppity in his coverage choices.

If this list is not to your liking, feel free to discard it as a mere landlubbers attempt to utter (or stutter?) anything about the masters of the industry.