Anita McNaught
Encyclopedia
Anita McNaught is a United Kingdom
/New Zealand
dual nationality freelance
journalist
and television
presenter, currently working for Al Jazeera English.
Born in London
in 1965, at the age of 20 she moved to New Zealand where she worked for 12 years before returning to the United Kingdom in 1997. She has worked as a television reporter for Television New Zealand (TVNZ)
, CNN
and Al Jazeera English, and has also contributed prominently to radio as a regular contributor on Radio New Zealand
- and in print journalism
.
where she worked as a reporter on the current affairs programme 20/20.
Upon her return to the United Kingdom in 1997, she joined the BBC
as a freelance journalist, presenting on BBC World News until 2004. During her time in the country, she also presented BBC Two's
Open Minds arts and culture series in 1999, as well as Channel 4
television's miscarriage of justice series Clear My Name in 1998. Between 2000 and 2001, she also wrote features for The Times
newspaper. Upon leaving BBC World, she continued to work on a freelance basis for other BBC departments, in one case working on BBC Radio 5 Live's
5 Live Report
.
McNaught has covered events from the studio such as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings of Winnie Mandela, and the death of Diana, Princess of Wales
. She anchored rolling coverage of the entry of UN
forces into Kosovo
and Baghdad
, and with Al Jazeera
covered events in Libya
.
She has also covered stories for the media criticism show Eating Media Lunch
, and was a founding board member of WIFT - Women in Film and Television - in New Zealand.
along with fellow colleague Steve Centanni
. Wiig and Centanni were released after 13 days in captivity, August 27, 2006, having appeared in a videotape
saying - at gunpoint - that they had "embraced Islam
with the Islamic prophet Muhammad
as their leader". Upon release, Olaf and Steve were reunited with family and friends. Wiig and McNaught were then taken to New York City
in Rupert Murdoch's
(owner of News Corp, Fox's parent company) private jet and reunited with Wiig's New Zealand family members who had flown to New York
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
/New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
dual nationality freelance
Freelancer
A freelancer, freelance worker, or freelance is somebody who is self-employed and is not committed to a particular employer long term. These workers are often represented by a company or an agency that resells their labor and that of others to its clients with or without project management and...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
presenter, currently working for Al Jazeera English.
Born in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1965, at the age of 20 she moved to New Zealand where she worked for 12 years before returning to the United Kingdom in 1997. She has worked as a television reporter for Television New Zealand (TVNZ)
Television New Zealand
Television New Zealand, more commonly referred to, and stylized as TVNZ, is a government-owned corporation television network broadcasting in New Zealand and parts of the Pacific. It operates TV1, TV2, TVNZ7, TVNZ Heartland, TVNZ U and new media services....
, CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
and Al Jazeera English, and has also contributed prominently to radio as a regular contributor on Radio New Zealand
Radio New Zealand
Radio New Zealand is a New Zealand public service radio broadcaster and Crown entity formed by the Radio New Zealand Act 1995. It operates news, current affairs and arts network Radio New Zealand National and classical music and jazz network Radio New Zealand Concert with full government funding...
- and in print journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
.
Career
At the age of 22, McNaught began work as a reporter for TVNZ. She went on to become a popular presenter for a number of news and current affairs programmes. In 1995, she moved to the competitor channel TV3TV3 (New Zealand)
TV3 is a New Zealand commercial television network, owned by MediaWorks New Zealand. Launched on 26 November 1989, the first private television network in New Zealand...
where she worked as a reporter on the current affairs programme 20/20.
Upon her return to the United Kingdom in 1997, she joined the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
as a freelance journalist, presenting on BBC World News until 2004. During her time in the country, she also presented BBC Two's
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
Open Minds arts and culture series in 1999, as well as Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
television's miscarriage of justice series Clear My Name in 1998. Between 2000 and 2001, she also wrote features for The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
newspaper. Upon leaving BBC World, she continued to work on a freelance basis for other BBC departments, in one case working on BBC Radio 5 Live's
BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries...
5 Live Report
5 Live Report
5 Live Report was a weekly investigative programme on BBC Radio 5 Live. It was broadcast live at 11 a.m. on Sundays as part of the Julian Worricker programme, and a recorded half-hour documentary was broadcast on Sundays, schedule permitting....
.
McNaught has covered events from the studio such as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings of Winnie Mandela, and the death of Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
. She anchored rolling coverage of the entry of UN
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
forces into Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
and Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
, and with Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera is an independent broadcaster owned by the state of Qatar through the Qatar Media Corporation and headquartered in Doha, Qatar...
covered events in Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
.
She has also covered stories for the media criticism show Eating Media Lunch
Eating Media Lunch
Eating Media Lunch was a satirical New Zealand news show hosted by Jeremy Wells. It aired on TV 2 and online on from 2003 to 2008. The show was frequently controversial during its run.- Notable episodes :...
, and was a founding board member of WIFT - Women in Film and Television - in New Zealand.
Olaf Wiig
Her ex-husband, Olaf Wiig, is a cameraman for Fox News. On August 14, 2006, he was taken hostage in the Gaza StripGaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
along with fellow colleague Steve Centanni
Steve Centanni
Steven James Centanni is an American news reporter for Fox News Channel.-Journalism career:Centanni joined FNC in 1996. He is currently based in Washington D.C. as a national correspondent....
. Wiig and Centanni were released after 13 days in captivity, August 27, 2006, having appeared in a videotape
Videotape
A videotape is a recording of images and sounds on to magnetic tape as opposed to film stock or random access digital media. Videotapes are also used for storing scientific or medical data, such as the data produced by an electrocardiogram...
saying - at gunpoint - that they had "embraced Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
with the Islamic prophet Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
as their leader". Upon release, Olaf and Steve were reunited with family and friends. Wiig and McNaught were then taken to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in Rupert Murdoch's
Rupert Murdoch
Keith Rupert Murdoch, AC, KSG is an Australian-American business magnate. He is the founder and Chairman and CEO of , the world's second-largest media conglomerate....
(owner of News Corp, Fox's parent company) private jet and reunited with Wiig's New Zealand family members who had flown to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
External links
- BBC World profile of Anita McNaught
- New Zealanders of the Year: Anita McNaught, The New Zealand HeraldThe New Zealand Herald- External links :* * *...
— 9 December 2006 - New Zealand Listener magazine interview with Anita McNaught — 20 March 2004
- Anita McNaught interviews Robert Fisk
- Anita McNaught interviews Saif al-Islam Gaddafi
- In 2008 she worked for Fox news