Professor Richard Sambrook
BA (Reading), MSc (Birkbeck, London)
Emeritus Professor
- sambrookrj@cardiff.ac.uk
- +44 (0)29 208 70982
- Two Central Square, Central Square, Cardiff, CF10 1FS
- Media commentator
Overview
I am Professor of Journalism and Director of the Centre for Journalism which undertakes postgraduate vocational training. Previously, I was Director of Global News at the BBC where I worked as a journalist for 30 years as a producer, editor and manager.
I have been a Visiting Fellow at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at Oxford University where I undertook research into the future of international newsgathering and the place of impartiality and objectivity in the digital world.
Read Professor Sambrook's posts on the 'JOMEC @ Cardiff University' Blog.
Recent Media
Have 24 hour News Channels had their day?
Has digital technology robbed TV news channels of their purpose?
http://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/feb/03/tv-24-hour-news-channels-bbc-rolling
Is there enough scrutinity of Welsh Politics
Interview on The Wales Report in a discussion on whether there is enough scrutiny of Welsh politics. (BBC One, The Wales Report, 22.1.14)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03q8m47/The_Wales_Report_22_01_2014/ (begin from: 20:00min)
After Leveson: end journalism's amateur romance and get professional
The first of two extracts published in Roy Greenslade's Guardian blog. The extract is from the book After Leveson? It is edited by John Mair.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/greenslade/2013/mar/04/leveson-report-polls
After Leveson: how to rebuild trust and credibility in journalism
The second of two extracts published in Roy Greenslade's Guardian blog, from the book After Leveson? Here, Professor Sambrook asks whether it might be possible to build journalistic professionalism through formalising education and whether employers could be persuaded to support it...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/greenslade/2013/mar/05/leveson-report-lord-justice-leveson
BBC World Service
In a special extended edition of BBC World Service's Over to You – the Editors, Richard Sambrook finds out how international media editors have been tackling the challenge of covering the US presidential election and Chinese leadership changes within a single week.
Richard's editors meeting includes guests from Time Magazine, Huffington Post, The Economist, China Times and Ohio's Plain Dealer Newspaper, plus the BBC's Raymond Li in Hong Kong.
bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0104k0x First broadcast: Saturday 10 November 2012 and available until 10/11/2013
Biography
Career Overview
- 2012 - present: Professor of Journalism and Deputy Head of School, JOMEC
- 2010-2012 Global Vice Chairman, Edelman
- 2004-2010 DIrector of BBC Global News and World Service
- 2001-2004 Director of News, BBC,
- 1996-2000 Head of Newsgathering, BBC News
- 1992-1996, News Editor, BBC News
- 1980-1992, Producer and Editor, BBC News programmes
- 1977-1980 Reporter, Thomson Regional Newspapers
Education
- 2010 -2012 Visiting Fellow, Reuters Institute, Green Templeton College, University of Oxford
- MSc, Birkbeck College, University of London (Politics) 1984
- BA (Hons), Reading University, (English) 1977
Honours and awards
- Fellow of the Royal Television Society
Professional memberships
Fellow Royal Society of Arts
Speaking engagements
- Frequent speaker at Journalism conferences including the International Journalism Festival, MojoCon, NewsXchange
- Panellist at World Economic Forum (2001 - 2006)
Publications
2022
- Sambrook, R. 2022. The BBC's global role. Progressive Review 29(1), pp. 22-27. (10.1111/newe.12301)
2020
- Wahl-Jorgensen, K. et al. 2020. Advice for journalists covering Covid-19: Welsh NHS confederation. Documentation. Cardiff: School of Journalism, Media and Culture, Cardiff University.
2018
- Allan, S. et al. eds. 2018. The future of journalism: risks, threats and opportunities. London and New York: Routledge.
- Cushion, S., Kilby, A., Thomas, R., Morani, M. and Sambrook, R. J. 2018. Newspapers, impartiality and television news: intermedia agenda-setting during the 2015 uk general election campaign. Journalism Studies 19(2), pp. 162-181. (10.1080/1461670X.2016.1171163)
- Sambrook, R. ed. 2018. Global teamwork: the rise of collaboration in investigative journalism. Oxford University, UK: Reuters Institute for the study of JOurnalism.
2016
- Cushion, S., Thomas, R., Kilby, A., Morani, M. and Sambrook, R. J. 2016. Interpreting the media logic behind editorial decisions: Television News Coverage of the 2015 U.K. General Election Campaign. International Journal of Press/Politics 21(4), pp. 472-489. (10.1177/1940161216664726)
- Wahl-Jorgensen, K. et al. 2016. The future of journalism: risks, threats and opportunities. Journalism Studies 17(7), pp. 801-807. (10.1080/1461670X.2016.1199486)
- Wahl-Jorgensen, K. et al. 2016. Introduction: The future of journalism: risks, threats and opportunities. Digital Journalism 4(7), pp. 809-815. (10.1080/21670811.2016.1199469)
- Wahl-Jorgensen, K. et al. 2016. Introduction: the future of journalism: risks, threats and opportunities. Journalism Practice 10(7), pp. 808-814. (10.1080/17512786.2016.1199485)
- Sambrook, R. J. 2016. Journalists at risk undermine us all. [Online]. JOMEC blog: Cardiff University School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies. Available at: http://www.jomec.co.uk/blog/journalists-at-risk-undermines-us-all/
- Cushion, S. and Sambrook, R. J. eds. 2016. The future of 24 hour news: new directions, new challenges. Peter Lang.
- Cottle, S., Sambrook, R. and Mosdell, N. 2016. Reporting dangerously: journalist killings, intimidation and security. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. (10.1007/978-1-137-40670-5)
- Sambrook, R. J. 2016. BBC White Paper: the worst has not come to pass, but the leash is tightening. The Conversation 2016(12 May)
- Sambrook, R. J. 2016. Panama Papers: the nuts and bolts of a massive international investigation. The Conversation 2016(4 Apr)
- Sambrook, R. J. and Nielsen, R. 2016. What is happening to television news?. Discussion Paper. Oxford: Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, Oxford University. Available at: http://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/What%20is%20Happening%20to%20Television%20News.pdf
2015
- Sambrook, R. J. 2015. Now is the time to decide: what kind of BBC do you want?. The Conversation 2015(16 Jul)
- Sambrook, R. J. and Cushion, S. 2015. Election coverage: how the parties and leaders are faring on television. The Guardian 2015(12 Apr)
- Sambrook, R. J. 2015. From Buerk to Ushahidi: change in TV reporting of humanitarian crises. In: Cottle, S. and Cooper, G. eds. Humanitarianism, Communications and Change. Global Crises and the Media Vol. 19. Peter Lang, pp. 53-60.
2014
- Sambrook, R. J. 2014. We want news on the phone – and that means reinventing the TV news channel. [Online]. The Guardian: Guardian News and Media. Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/media/media-blog/2014/aug/28/tv-news-channel-phone-digital
- Sambrook, R. J. 2014. Hacking trial highlighted the cosy relationship between politicians and the press. The Conversation 2014(25 Jun)
- Sambrook, R. J. and McGuire, S. 2014. Have 24 hour news channels had their day?. The Guardian Media Blog 2014(3 Feb)
2013
- Sambrook, R. J. 2013. We should be optimistic about the future of British news. The Conversation 2013(2 Dec)
- Sambrook, R. J. 2013. The Financial Times deserves high praise for its digital plans. The Conversation 2013(23 Oct)
- Sambrook, R. J. 2013. Why journalists need the Open Government Partnership to help them. The Guardian Media Blog 2013(20 Oct)
- Sambrook, R. J. 2013. BBC faces being politicised, putting budgets and editorial content at risk [Blog]. The Guardian Media Blog 2013(15 Sep)
- Sambrook, R. J. 2013. BBC payoff executives have saved taxpayers millions. The Conversation 2013(10 Sep)
- Sambrook, R. J. 2013. U.K. government and press collide in bullying of reporter's partner. [Online]. Cable News Network (CNN). Available at: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/08/21/opinion/sambrook-greenwald-case/
- Sambrook, R. J. 2013. Ratlike cunning, a plausible manner and a little literary ability. In: Mair, J. ed. After Leveson? The Future for British Journalism. Bury St Edmunds: Arima Publishing, pp. 88-97.
- Sambrook, R. J., Terrington, S. and Levy, D. A. L. 2013. The public appetite for foreign news. Project Report. [Online]. Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. Available at: https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/fileadmin/documents/Publications/Working_Papers/The_Public_appetite_for_foreign_news_on_TV.pdf
- Wahl-Jorgensen, K. et al. 2013. Breadth of opinion in BBC output. Project Report. [Online]. BBC Trust. Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/our_work/editorial_standards/impartiality/breadth_opinion.html
- Sambrook, R. 2013. The media and open government: partners or adversaries? An independent report into the Open Government Partnership. Project Report. [Online]. San Francisco, CA: Open Government Partnership. Available at: http://www.opengovpartnership.org/sites/default/files/OGP-Media-Council-Report.pdf
2012
- Sambrook, R. J. 2012. The Olympics and TV. JOMEC Journal(2) (10.18573/j.2012.10229)
- Sambrook, R. J. 2012. Delivering trust: impartiality and objectivity in the digital age. Working paper. Oxford: Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, University of Oxford. Available at: http://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/fileadmin/documents/Publications/Working_Papers/Delivering_Trust_Impartiality_and_Objectivity_in_a_Digital_Age.pdf
2011
- Sambrook, R. J. 2011. Are foreign correspondents redundant? The changing face of international news. Project Report. [Online]. Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. Available at: https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/fileadmin/documents/Publications/Challenges/Are_Foreign_Correspondents_Redundant.pdf
2009
- Sambrook, R. J. 2009. Citizen journalism. In: Owen, J. and Purdey, H. eds. International News Reporting: Frontlines and Deadlines. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, pp. 220-242.
2007
- Sambrook, R. J. ed. 2007. Global voice: Britain's future in international broadcasting. Premium Publishing.
- Sambrook, R. J. and Mosdell, N. A. 2007. Killing the messenger: report of the global inquiry by the International News Safety Institute into the protection of journalists. Working paper. Belgium: International News Safety Institute.
Teaching
Reporters and Reported lecture series and ad hoc seminars and lectures.
Professor Sambrook’s interests include digital journalism and social media, hyperlocal journalism and international news.
