Richard Sambrook
Encyclopedia
Richard Sambrook is Global Vice Chairman and Chief Content Officer of the Edelman
public relations
agency. For 30 years, until February 2010, he was a BBC
journalist
and news executive, becoming successively Director of BBC Sport
, BBC News
and, latterly, Director of BBC World Service
and Global News.
Sambrook was educated at Maidstone
Technical High School, at the University of Reading
(BA in English) and at Birkbeck College, University of London
(MSc in politics). His career began in local newspaper
s in South Wales
. He joined BBC Radio News as a sub-editor in 1980.
His time at the BBC was almost entirely in daily news. He was a programme editor, news editor and, later, Head of Newsgathering when the Corporation won a number of awards for its international news coverage. He merged radio and television news, and domestic and World Service newsgathering during this time, resulting in the world's largest broadcast news operation. He was acting Director of Sport in 2000, and became Director of News in 2001.
Sambrook defended in June/July 2003 what became the highly controversial Today programme
report that the Blair government
had in its September Dossier
knowingly exaggerated claims relating to Iraq
's supposed possession of weapons of mass destruction
. On 20 July he confirmed that Dr David Kelly had been the source of the news item. He later gave evidence to the Hutton Inquiry
into Kelly's apparent suicide.
Sambrook became Director of the World Service and Global News in September 2004. He oversaw major restructuring of the World Service, and its opening of Arabic and Persian television, as well as commercial interactive services.
Since January 2010 he has been a Visiting Fellow at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism
at the University of Oxford
.
From 2006-2009 he was Vice President of the European Broadcasting Union
and represented public broadcasters on the advisory group to the UN's Internet Governance Forum
. He was a member of the leadership committee of the Global Media AIDS Initiative
, established by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan
in 2004. He was Chairman of the BBC's international charity, the World Service Trust, and Chairman of the Arts and Business Advisory Council.
He was on the advisory board of the British Council
, the executive committee of the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association
and the board of the Fritz Institute. He led an inquiry for the International News Safety Institute into the deaths of journalists around the world. He is a Fellow of the Royal Television Society
and of the Royal Society of Arts
.
Sambrook is married with two children.
Edelman (firm)
Edelman is a global public relations firm with consumer, finance, healthcare, technology and industrial practices. It employs over 3,600 people in 53 offices around the globe. Edelman was founded in 1952 by Daniel J. Edelman and is today led by his son President & CEO Richard Edelman...
public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
agency. For 30 years, until February 2010, he was a 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...
journalist
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...
and news executive, becoming successively Director of BBC Sport
BBC Sport
BBC Sport is the sports division of the BBC. It became a fully dedicated division of the BBC in 2000. It incorporates programmes such as Match of the Day, Grandstand , Test Match Special, Ski Sunday, Rugby Special and coverage of Formula One motor racing, MotoGP and the Wimbledon Tennis...
, BBC News
BBC News
BBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
and, latterly, Director of BBC World Service
BBC World Service
The BBC World Service is the world's largest international broadcaster, broadcasting in 27 languages to many parts of the world via analogue and digital shortwave, internet streaming and podcasting, satellite, FM and MW relays...
and Global News.
Sambrook was educated at Maidstone
Maidstone
Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural...
Technical High School, at the University of Reading
University of Reading
The University of Reading is a university in the English town of Reading, Berkshire. The University was established in 1892 as University College, Reading and received its Royal Charter in 1926. It is based on several campuses in, and around, the town of Reading.The University has a long tradition...
(BA in English) and at Birkbeck College, University of London
Birkbeck, University of London
Birkbeck, University of London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. It offers many Master's and Bachelor's degree programmes that can be studied either part-time or full-time, though nearly all teaching is...
(MSc in politics). His career began in local newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
s in South Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. He joined BBC Radio News as a sub-editor in 1980.
His time at the BBC was almost entirely in daily news. He was a programme editor, news editor and, later, Head of Newsgathering when the Corporation won a number of awards for its international news coverage. He merged radio and television news, and domestic and World Service newsgathering during this time, resulting in the world's largest broadcast news operation. He was acting Director of Sport in 2000, and became Director of News in 2001.
Sambrook defended in June/July 2003 what became the highly controversial 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...
report that the Blair government
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...
had in its September Dossier
September Dossier
Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction: The Assessment of the British Government, also known as the September Dossier, was a document published by the British government on 24 September 2002 on the same day of a recall of Parliament to discuss the contents of the document...
knowingly exaggerated claims relating to 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....
's supposed possession of weapons of mass destruction
Weapons of mass destruction
A weapon of mass destruction is a weapon that can kill and bring significant harm to a large number of humans and/or cause great damage to man-made structures , natural structures , or the biosphere in general...
. On 20 July he confirmed that Dr David Kelly had been the source of the news item. He later gave evidence to the Hutton Inquiry
Hutton Inquiry
The Hutton Inquiry was a 2003 judicial inquiry in the UK chaired by Lord Hutton, who was appointed by the Labour government to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of David Kelly, a biological warfare expert and former UN weapons inspector in Iraq.On 18 July 2003, Kelly, an employee...
into Kelly's apparent suicide.
Sambrook became Director of the World Service and Global News in September 2004. He oversaw major restructuring of the World Service, and its opening of Arabic and Persian television, as well as commercial interactive services.
Since January 2010 he has been a Visiting Fellow at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism
Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism
The Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism was founded in the Department of Politics and International Relations at University of Oxford in 2006 to conduct scholarly and professional research on news media and operate the Thomson Reuters Fellowship Programme and host academic research fellows...
at the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
.
From 2006-2009 he was Vice President of the European Broadcasting Union
European Broadcasting Union
The European Broadcasting Union is a confederation of 74 broadcasting organisations from 56 countries, and 49 associate broadcasters from a further 25...
and represented public broadcasters on the advisory group to the UN's Internet Governance Forum
Internet Governance Forum
The Internet Governance Forum is a multi-stakeholder forum for policy dialogue on issues of Internet governance. It brings together all stakeholders in the internet governance debate, whether they represent governments, the private sector or civil society, including the technical and academic...
. He was a member of the leadership committee of the Global Media AIDS Initiative
Global Media AIDS Initiative
The Global Media AIDS Initiative is an umbrella organization that unites and motivates media companies around the world to use their influence, resources, and creative talent to address AIDS. The GMAI creates a framework for sharing television and radio programming among media companies in order...
, established by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan
Kofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
in 2004. He was Chairman of the BBC's international charity, the World Service Trust, and Chairman of the Arts and Business Advisory Council.
He was on the advisory board of the British Council
British Council
The British Council is a United Kingdom-based organisation specialising in international educational and cultural opportunities. It is registered as a charity both in England and Wales, and in Scotland...
, the executive committee of the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association
Commonwealth Broadcasting Association
Founded in 1945, the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association is a representative body for public service broadcasters throughout the Commonwealth. A not-for-profit non-government organisation, the CBA is funded by subscriptions from 102 members and affiliates from 53 countries...
and the board of the Fritz Institute. He led an inquiry for the International News Safety Institute into the deaths of journalists around the world. He is a Fellow of the Royal Television Society
Royal Television Society
The Royal Television Society is a British-based educational charity for the discussion, and analysis of television in all its forms, past, present and future. It is the oldest television society in the world...
and of the Royal Society of Arts
Royal Society of Arts
The Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce is a British multi-disciplinary institution, based in London. The name Royal Society of Arts is frequently used for brevity...
.
Sambrook is married with two children.
External links
- Are Foreign Correspondents Redundant? (Reuters Institute)
- Sambrook questioned by fellow journalists at London's Frontline Club, February 2010
- BBC press office biography
- Killing The Messenger report for INSI
- Interview in the Guardian
- Columbia University Poliak Lecture , 2005
- The case against censorship, 2005
- Hypergene interview on media and participation
- Interview by Ray Snoddy, the Independent
- Survival Strategies for Public Broadcasters, 2005