John Kampfner
Encyclopedia
John Paul Kampfner is a British
journalist
who was editor of the weekly political magazine the New Statesman
between 2005 and 2008. During that time he took the magazine's circulation to a 30-year high, winning a string of awards including Current Affairs Editor of the Year in 2006.
, a boys' independent school
in London
and at The Queen's College, Oxford
where he did a BA
in Modern History and Russian.
from 1984-99 and the Daily Telegraph from 1989-91. Subsequently he became a political correspondent and commentator for the Financial Times
and the BBC
, and the political editor of the New Statesman before he became editor.
He became Chief Executive of Index on Censorship
in 2008. He is also Chair of Turner Contemporary, the largest visual arts project in the south-east of England outside London (in Margate).
Additionally, Kampfner has contributed several BBC documentaries, his two-part series on the Middle Eastern conflict between Israel
and the Palestinians, The Dirty War, won him Journalist of the Year and Film of the Year from the Foreign Press Association in 2002.
's Russia: Corruption, Conflict, Capitalism, a biography of former Labour Foreign Secretary Robin Cook
, and a study of Tony Blair
's interventionist foreign policy Blair's Wars. His most recent publication released in early September 2009 was titled Freedom For Sale: How We Made Money And Lost Our Liberty and is an analysis of the seeming abandonment of liberty in the names of democracy and capitalism. The book was shortlisted for the Orwell Book prize in May 2010.
fan.
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...
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...
who was editor of the weekly political magazine the New Statesman
New Statesman
New Statesman is a British centre-left political and cultural magazine published weekly in London. Founded in 1913, and connected with leading members of the Fabian Society, the magazine reached a circulation peak in the late 1960s....
between 2005 and 2008. During that time he took the magazine's circulation to a 30-year high, winning a string of awards including Current Affairs Editor of the Year in 2006.
Early life
Kampfner was educated at Westminster SchoolWestminster School
The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain's leading independent schools, with the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rate of any secondary school or college in Britain...
, a boys' independent school
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
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...
and at The Queen's College, Oxford
The Queen's College, Oxford
The Queen's College, founded 1341, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Queen's is centrally situated on the High Street, and is renowned for its 18th-century architecture...
where he did a BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Modern History and Russian.
Career
Kampfner was a foreign correspondent in Moscow and Berlin for nearly a decade, for ReutersReuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
from 1984-99 and the Daily Telegraph from 1989-91. Subsequently he became a political correspondent and commentator for the Financial Times
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....
and 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...
, and the political editor of the New Statesman before he became editor.
He became Chief Executive of Index on Censorship
Index on Censorship
Index on Censorship is a campaigning publishing organisation for freedom of expression, which produces an award-winning quarterly magazine of the same name from London. The present chief executive of Index on Censorship, since 2008, is the author, broadcaster and commentator John Kampfner, former...
in 2008. He is also Chair of Turner Contemporary, the largest visual arts project in the south-east of England outside London (in Margate).
Additionally, Kampfner has contributed several BBC documentaries, his two-part series on the Middle Eastern conflict between Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and the Palestinians, The Dirty War, won him Journalist of the Year and Film of the Year from the Foreign Press Association in 2002.
Publications
As an author Kampfner's works include Inside YeltsinBoris Yeltsin
Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin was the first President of the Russian Federation, serving from 1991 to 1999.Originally a supporter of Mikhail Gorbachev, Yeltsin emerged under the perestroika reforms as one of Gorbachev's most powerful political opponents. On 29 May 1990 he was elected the chairman of...
's Russia: Corruption, Conflict, Capitalism, a biography of former Labour Foreign Secretary Robin Cook
Robin Cook
Robert Finlayson Cook was a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Livingston from 1983 until his death, and notably served in the Cabinet as Foreign Secretary from 1997 to 2001....
, and a study of 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...
's interventionist foreign policy Blair's Wars. His most recent publication released in early September 2009 was titled Freedom For Sale: How We Made Money And Lost Our Liberty and is an analysis of the seeming abandonment of liberty in the names of democracy and capitalism. The book was shortlisted for the Orwell Book prize in May 2010.
Personal life
Kampfner married the BBC journalist Lucy Ash in 1992. The couple have two children and live in London. He is a big ChelseaChelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
fan.