Ben Anderson (journalist)
Encyclopedia
Ben Anderson is a television
reporter and writer. He was born in Middlesbrough
, and now lives in London
.
A veteran reporter and presenter, in 2005, Anderson reported for Frontline Football – four films for the BBC
that followed national football teams beset by turmoil during the qualifying rounds of the World Cup
. In the previous year, he was a reporter on Holidays in the Danger Zone
- The Violent Coast. This four part series for BBC2 focused on travelling along West Africa
's notoriously dangerous coast. Back in 2003, Ben was a reporter on Correspondent - Terror in South East Asia, which profiled Khalid Sheikh Mohammed's time in Manila
with Ramsi Yousef, prior to the September 11 attacks.
Anderson is perhaps most famous for Holidays in the Axis of Evil
, the BBC series where he travelled secretly to Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Syria, Libya and Cuba. He also made films about gang wars in El Salvador, the landless movement in Brazil, pollution in Varanasi, homosexuals in America, Maoist insurgents in Bihar, water rights for Palestinians in the West Bank, the third generation of Agent Orange victims in Vietnam, deportees and pimps in Cambodia and the war in Southern Iraq. Ben is also the presenter of World's Toughest Tribes – a six part television documentary series for Discovery Channel
that focuses on unique modern day tribes.
His recent work included "Taking on the Taliban", a harrowing film that resulted from two months in Helmand, Afghanistan
's most violent province, with the Queen's Company, Grenadier Guards. The film was shortlisted for RTS programme and Journalism awards, as a well as a BAFTA. His diary
from Helmand was published by the London review of Books.
He has since covered Slave labour in Dubai, and new threats and solutions to deforestation for BBC 1's Panorama. He has been back to Helmand several times, for Newsnight, the Times, the Guardian magazine, GQ and VBS (where Spike Jonze
singled out his film "Obama's War" as amongst the best of 2009.)
M.I.A.
wrote a hit single about Ben Anderson, and he has worked with World Champion David Hayemaker Haye on a film.
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
reporter and writer. He was born in Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...
, and now lives 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...
.
A veteran reporter and presenter, in 2005, Anderson reported for Frontline Football – four films for 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...
that followed national football teams beset by turmoil during the qualifying rounds of the World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
. In the previous year, he was a reporter on Holidays in the Danger Zone
Holidays in the Danger Zone
Holidays in the Danger Zone is a series of documentaries, originally broadcast on BBC Four in the UK. They have also been shown on BBC Two and exported to other countries, including Canada....
- The Violent Coast. This four part series for BBC2 focused on travelling along West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
's notoriously dangerous coast. Back in 2003, Ben was a reporter on Correspondent - Terror in South East Asia, which profiled Khalid Sheikh Mohammed's time in Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
with Ramsi Yousef, prior to the September 11 attacks.
Anderson is perhaps most famous for Holidays in the Axis of Evil
Holidays in the Axis of Evil
Holidays in the Axis of Evil is a television documentary series shown on BBC Four in the United Kingdom, first broadcast in January 2003. In the series, reporter Ben Anderson travelled to all of the countries in U.S. President George W. Bush's "Axis of evil": Cuba, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Libya...
, the BBC series where he travelled secretly to Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Syria, Libya and Cuba. He also made films about gang wars in El Salvador, the landless movement in Brazil, pollution in Varanasi, homosexuals in America, Maoist insurgents in Bihar, water rights for Palestinians in the West Bank, the third generation of Agent Orange victims in Vietnam, deportees and pimps in Cambodia and the war in Southern Iraq. Ben is also the presenter of World's Toughest Tribes – a six part television documentary series for Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
that focuses on unique modern day tribes.
His recent work included "Taking on the Taliban", a harrowing film that resulted from two months in Helmand, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
's most violent province, with the Queen's Company, Grenadier Guards. The film was shortlisted for RTS programme and Journalism awards, as a well as a BAFTA. His diary
Diary
A diary is a record with discrete entries arranged by date reporting on what has happened over the course of a day or other period. A personal diary may include a person's experiences, and/or thoughts or feelings, including comment on current events outside the writer's direct experience. Someone...
from Helmand was published by the London review of Books.
He has since covered Slave labour in Dubai, and new threats and solutions to deforestation for BBC 1's Panorama. He has been back to Helmand several times, for Newsnight, the Times, the Guardian magazine, GQ and VBS (where Spike Jonze
Spike Jonze
Spike Jonze is an American director, producer and actor, whose work includes music videos, commercials, film and television...
singled out his film "Obama's War" as amongst the best of 2009.)
M.I.A.
M.I.A. (artist)
Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam , better known by her stage name M.I.A. , is an English singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, painter and director of Sri Lankan Tamil descent. Her compositions combine elements of hip hop, electronica, dance, alternative and world music. M.I.A...
wrote a hit single about Ben Anderson, and he has worked with World Champion David Hayemaker Haye on a film.
External links
- http://www.lrb.co.uk/v30/n01/ande03_.html
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/panorama/7071859.stm
- http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jan/09/afghanistan-us-troops-surge-obama
- http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/afghanistan/article7029675.ece
- http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/afghanistan/article7038597.ece
- http://www.lrb.co.uk/v30/n01/ben-anderson/diary
- http://www.curtisbrown.co.uk/ben-anderson/