Biography
I've worked in broadcast journalism for over 25 years, across TV, radio, online and digital. I began my career in commercial radio before joining BBC Scotland where I specialised in politics, covering the Scottish devolution referendum and then the Scottish Parliament for its first 10 years. In 2010 I moved to BBC World News, the BBC's 24-hour international television news channel, as a senior producer. I worked at senior editorial level on channels and programmes including BBC News Channel, Language Services, UK General Election results programmes and outside broadcasts. For BBC World News I led teams which delivered award winning programmes including World News America and special coverage of major international news events. I was editorial lead on stories of national and global significance including the Brexit referendum, the fall of Kabul, the migrant crisis, Royal weddings and babies, wars in Syria and Afghanistan and the terrorist attacks in Paris.
As well as extensive experience of 24-hour global news, breaking news and rolling coverage I have a particular specialism in politics. I've covered every UK and Scottish general election since 1995 and the referendums on devolution, Scottish independence and Brexit. I was a senior producer on the BBC's Scottish independence results programme, presented by Huw Edwards, and the 2015 and 2017 UK election results programmes presented by David Dimbleby. I was lead producer in Brussels for the Brexit referendum result and the G20 in Hamburg.
I'm a fully trained video journalist and have filmed across Scotland, England, Germany and Spain. My reports have been shown on BBC World News, BBC4 and BBC Scotland.
I have professional qualifications from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (Level 5 diploma in People Management) and the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (Specialist Certificate in Internal Communications). While at the BBC I created and delivered training courses which considered how organisational structures can protect impartiality. Other training programmes I created included the commercial aspect of BBC Global News, understanding global audiences, compliance with industry standards (mainly US Federal Communications Commission regulations), outside broadcasting and best practice for breaking news.
I have researched how the BBC's Public Purposes enshrine accuracy, impartiality and fairness for global audiences, and how that commitment is reflected in daily news provision. My work identified the importance of trust to the BBC brand and how that functions for the BBC as a global news provider in a crowded international market. I also carried out research into audiences to identify the differences between international and domestic UK audiences, and the impact that different distribution methods have on viewers accessing BBC platforms, including television and online.