Barbara Serra
Encyclopedia
Barbara Serra is an Italian
-born British
-based journalist
and TV newsreader
, who presents from London on Al Jazeera
.
from the age of nine. As a result, Serra is multi-lingual, with a native language of Italian, secondary languages of English and Danish, and is fluent in French
.
, and then trained as a journalist via a Postgraduate Diploma in Broadcast Journalism at City University, London
.
Serra's journalistic career started at the BBC
, where she worked her way up from a researcher, spending three years working as a producer/presenter for BBC London News
, produced on Radio 4
's Today programme
and regularly presented EuroNews on BBC Radio Five Live
. Her most challenging on-air moment was having to improvise a 5 minute radio bulletin without any scripts due to a technical mishap.
In 2003, she joined Sky News
as a reporter, working on both domestic and international assignments. Serra covered a wide range of stories, from the death of Pope John Paul II
in Rome, to the Michael Jackson trial in California.
In July 2005, as part of a Sky News deal to deliver Five News
, she became presenter of the evening News on four nights on Five.
Serra left Five News in April 2006, when it was announced that she had joined Al Jazeera English as one of its London-based news presenter. She reports on news events from across Europe, and presents the programme People & Power and presented Streetfood Palermo.
In September 2007 she started co-presenting on Italian state TV RAI
, on a weekly programme called TV Talk from the Al Jazeera studios in London.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
-born British
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...
-based 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 TV newsreader
News presenter
A news presenter is a person who presents news during a news program in the format of a television show, on the radio or the Internet.News presenters can work in a radio studio, television studio and from remote broadcasts in the field especially weather...
, who presents from London on 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...
.
Biography
Born in Milan to Italian parents, she was raised in CopenhagenCopenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
from the age of nine. As a result, Serra is multi-lingual, with a native language of Italian, secondary languages of English and Danish, and is fluent in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
.
Career
In 1993, she moved to the UK to read International Relations at the London School of EconomicsLondon School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
, and then trained as a journalist via a Postgraduate Diploma in Broadcast Journalism at City University, London
City University, London
City University London , is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1894 as the Northampton Institute and became a university in 1966, when it adopted its present name....
.
Serra's journalistic career started at 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...
, where she worked her way up from a researcher, spending three years working as a producer/presenter for BBC London News
BBC London News
For other uses of the BBC London brand, see BBC London .BBC London News is the BBC's regional television news programme for the English region encompassing London and surrounding suburbs...
, produced on Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
's Today programme
Today programme
Today is BBC Radio 4's long-running early morning news and current affairs programme, now broadcast from 6.00 am to 9.00 am Monday to Friday, and 7.00 am to 9.00 am on Saturdays. It is also the most popular programme on Radio 4 and one of the BBC's most popular programmes across its radio networks...
and regularly presented EuroNews on BBC Radio Five Live
BBC Radio Five Live
BBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries...
. Her most challenging on-air moment was having to improvise a 5 minute radio bulletin without any scripts due to a technical mishap.
In 2003, she joined Sky News
Sky News
Sky News is a 24-hour British and international satellite television news broadcaster with an emphasis on UK and international news stories.The service places emphasis on rolling news, including the latest breaking news. Sky News also hosts localised versions of the channel in Australia and in New...
as a reporter, working on both domestic and international assignments. Serra covered a wide range of stories, from the death of Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
in Rome, to the Michael Jackson trial in California.
In July 2005, as part of a Sky News deal to deliver Five News
Five News
5 News is the news programme of British broadcaster Channel 5, produced by Sky News. From 1 January 2005, Sky News was awarded the contract to provide the news for Channel 5, replacing ITN, which had provided the channel's news service from the channel's launch in 1997...
, she became presenter of the evening News on four nights on Five.
Serra left Five News in April 2006, when it was announced that she had joined Al Jazeera English as one of its London-based news presenter. She reports on news events from across Europe, and presents the programme People & Power and presented Streetfood Palermo.
In September 2007 she started co-presenting on Italian state TV RAI
RAI
RAI — Radiotelevisione italiana S.p.A. known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane, is the Italian state owned public service broadcaster controlled by the Ministry of Economic Development. Rai is the biggest television company in Italy...
, on a weekly programme called TV Talk from the Al Jazeera studios in London.