David Blair (journalist)
Encyclopedia
David Blair is the Energy Correspondent of the Financial Times
, having formerly worked for the Daily Telegraph as a Foreign Correspondent and then Diplomatic Editor.
. He lated attended Cambridge University Corpus Christi College
where he did an M.Phil in International Relations.
Although born in Africa, Blair is a British citizen. He is not related to the former British prime minister
, Tony Blair
.
in 1999. He was forced to leave the country by President Robert Mugabe
's regime in June 2001. Blair later published a book about his experiences Degrees in Violence: Robert Mugabe and the Struggle for Power in Zimbabwe. He was named Young Journalist of the Year in 2001 by the Foreign Press Association for his coverage of Zimbabwe.
Thereafter, he was based in Pakistan
(2002 - 2003) and the Middle East (2003 - 2004). He was among the first journalists to enter Jenin Refugee Camp in the West Bank
after the controversial Israel
i assault in April 2002
. Blair's front page report on the Palestinian
suffering caused by this attack, headlined "Blasted to Rubble by the Israelis", attracted considerable attention as the Daily Telegraph had always been perceived as favourable to Israel.
Blair reported extensively from Iraq
before and after the American-led 2003 invasion of Iraq
. At the height of the looting in Baghdad in April 2003, Blair entered Saddam Hussein
's old foreign ministry
and found documents purporting to show that George Galloway
, the British MP, had received money from the deposed regime. Galloway vigorously denied this charge and sued the Daily Telegraph for libel on the totality of the Telegraph reports, which included those by other journalists and editorials. Galloway won the case in November 2004 and the newspaper paid him damages of £150,000 plus, after a failed appeal, legal costs of about £2 million. The Daily Telegraph did not attempt to claim justification (where the defendant seeks to prove the truth of the defamatory reports): "It has never been the Telegraph's case to suggest that the allegations contained in these documents are true". Instead, the paper sought to argue that it acted responsibly because the allegations it reported were of sufficient public interest to outweigh the damage caused to Galloway's reputation. However the trial judge did not accept this defence saying the suggestion that Galloway was guilty of "treason", "in Saddam's pay", and being "Saddam's little helper" caused him to conclude "the newspaper was not neutral but both embraced the allegations with relish and fervour and went on to embellish them".
Blair became the Daily Telegraphs Africa Bureau Chief in June 2004. He reported on the war in Darfur
, the elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
and the war in northern Uganda
. He left this job some time in late 2006.
In 2009 Blair left his Daily Telegraph diplomatic editor post to join the Financial Times as Middle East and Africa news editor. In 2010 he was appointed the Financial Times energy correspondent.
Financial Times
The Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
, having formerly worked for the Daily Telegraph as a Foreign Correspondent and then Diplomatic Editor.
Early life and education
Blair graduated from Oxford University with a First Class degree in PPE. He was President of the Oxford University Conservative AssociationOxford University Conservative Association
The Oxford University Conservative Association, or OUCA is a student political organisation founded in 1924 whose members are drawn from the University of Oxford...
. He lated attended Cambridge University Corpus Christi College
Corpus Christi College
Corpus Christi College can refer to the following colleges:*Corpus Christi College, Cambridge*Corpus Christi College, Oxford*Corpus Christi College *Corpus Christi College, Melbourne...
where he did an M.Phil in International Relations.
Although born in Africa, Blair is a British citizen. He is not related to the former British prime minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
, Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
.
Career in journalism
Blair began working for the Daily Telegraph in ZimbabweZimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
in 1999. He was forced to leave the country by President Robert Mugabe
Robert Mugabe
Robert Gabriel Mugabe is the President of Zimbabwe. As one of the leaders of the liberation movement against white-minority rule, he was elected into power in 1980...
's regime in June 2001. Blair later published a book about his experiences Degrees in Violence: Robert Mugabe and the Struggle for Power in Zimbabwe. He was named Young Journalist of the Year in 2001 by the Foreign Press Association for his coverage of Zimbabwe.
Thereafter, he was based in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
(2002 - 2003) and the Middle East (2003 - 2004). He was among the first journalists to enter Jenin Refugee Camp in the West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
after the controversial Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i assault in April 2002
Battle of Jenin
The Battle of Jenin took place in the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank. Israel Defense Forces entered the camp, and other areas under the administration of the Palestinian Authority, during the Second Intifada, as part of Operation Defensive Shield...
. Blair's front page report on the Palestinian
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
suffering caused by this attack, headlined "Blasted to Rubble by the Israelis", attracted considerable attention as the Daily Telegraph had always been perceived as favourable to Israel.
Blair reported extensively from Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
before and after the American-led 2003 invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
. At the height of the looting in Baghdad in April 2003, Blair entered Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
's old foreign ministry
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Iraq)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the Iraq government agency responsible for Foreign relations of Iraq with the International community....
and found documents purporting to show that George Galloway
George Galloway
George Galloway is a British politician, author, journalist and broadcaster who was a Member of Parliament from 1987 to 2010. He was formerly an MP for the Labour Party, first for Glasgow Hillhead and later for Glasgow Kelvin, before his expulsion from the party in October 2003, the same year...
, the British MP, had received money from the deposed regime. Galloway vigorously denied this charge and sued the Daily Telegraph for libel on the totality of the Telegraph reports, which included those by other journalists and editorials. Galloway won the case in November 2004 and the newspaper paid him damages of £150,000 plus, after a failed appeal, legal costs of about £2 million. The Daily Telegraph did not attempt to claim justification (where the defendant seeks to prove the truth of the defamatory reports): "It has never been the Telegraph's case to suggest that the allegations contained in these documents are true". Instead, the paper sought to argue that it acted responsibly because the allegations it reported were of sufficient public interest to outweigh the damage caused to Galloway's reputation. However the trial judge did not accept this defence saying the suggestion that Galloway was guilty of "treason", "in Saddam's pay", and being "Saddam's little helper" caused him to conclude "the newspaper was not neutral but both embraced the allegations with relish and fervour and went on to embellish them".
Blair became the Daily Telegraphs Africa Bureau Chief in June 2004. He reported on the war in Darfur
Darfur
Darfur is a region in western Sudan. An independent sultanate for several hundred years, it was incorporated into Sudan by Anglo-Egyptian forces in 1916. The region is divided into three federal states: West Darfur, South Darfur, and North Darfur...
, the elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
and the war in northern Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
. He left this job some time in late 2006.
In 2009 Blair left his Daily Telegraph diplomatic editor post to join the Financial Times as Middle East and Africa news editor. In 2010 he was appointed the Financial Times energy correspondent.