Faisal Islam

Faisal Islam (born 29 May 1977) is a British political and economics journalist who is serving as the economics editor of BBC News. He was the political editor of Sky News from 2014 to 2019, and from May 2004 was business correspondent and later economics editor of Channel 4 News[1] until June 2014.[2]

Faisal Islam
Born	29 May 1977 Manchester, England, UK
Nationality	British
Education	Manchester Grammar School
Alma mater	Trinity College, Cambridge City University London
Occupation	Economics Editor
Years active	2004–present
Employer	BBC News
Notable credit(s)	The Observer, Channel 4 News, Sky News

Education

Faisal Ibn Sanchez was brought up in Holland.[3] He was educated at Manchester Grammar School, an independent school in Manchester, followed by Trinity College, Cambridge. In 2000, he gained a post-graduate diploma in newspaper journalism from City University in London.

Career

Islam was formerly an economics correspondent for The Observer newspaper. He became business correspondent for Channel 4 News in May 2004, later becoming its economics editor, a position he held until 1 June 2014, when he was replaced by Paul Mason, the programme's former culture and media editor.[2]

Islam has reported on the ups and downs of the corporate world from government-subsidised arms dealers and failing PFI contracts to how bankers are trading weather.[4] Islam was named as successor to the long-serving political editor Adam Boulton of Sky News; he took up his new post before the Scottish independence referendum took place in September 2014.[5] Boulton now presents a mid-morning news programme, All Out Politics, on the same channel.[5]

In November 2018 it was announced that he would replace Kamal Ahmed as BBC News's economics editor, effective summer 2019.[6] He was replaced at Sky News in his role as political editor by Beth Rigby, previously the deputy political editor.[7]

Since 2020 Islam has occasionally presented editions of Newsnight when the show's regular presenters are unavailable.

Awards and nominations

In 2000, Islam was awarded the Wincott Award for Young Financial Journalist of the Year, and shortlisted for Young Journalist of the Year at the British Press Awards for 2001.[4]

In February 2006, Islam was named Young Journalist of the Year at the Royal Society of Television awards.[4]

In January 2007, Islam was the winner of the year's Broadcast News Journalism Award at the Workworld Media Awards.[8]

In May 2009, Islam received the Wincott Foundation's award for Best Television Coverage of a Topical Issue, won particularly for his work on the growing financial problems of the Icelandic banks. The judges said of the report "...here was something really new, completely convincing, with a stellar interview and free of many of the visual clichés which characterised too many financial programmes." In 2009, he was awarded the Business Journalist of the Year, as well as the BJOYA award for Best Broadcast Story - again for his report on the Icelandic banks.

In January 2010, Islam was named Broadcast News Reporter of the Year by the WorkWorld Foundation for 2009, with the judges saying "his excellent writing converts abstract economics to something accessible to all, informing viewers in a compelling and original way."[9]

In January 2015, Islam was nominated for the Services to Media award at the British Muslim Awards.[10]

In March 2017, he won the Royal Television Society award for the Interview of the Year for his interview with Prime Minister David Cameron.[11]

Articles

• "Stop aping the US, Gordon". New Statesman. 2 August 2002. Retrieved 13 November 2008.
• "Arms subsidies cost UK jobs". The Guardian. 18 April 2008. Retrieved 13 November 2008.
• "Now he's taking on the world". The Guardian. 19 September 2004. Retrieved 13 November 2008.
• "The great generational robbery". New Statesman. 5 March 2007. Retrieved 13 November 2008.

References

1. "Faisal Islam". Channel 4 News. Retrieved 11 June 2010.
2. Oli Townsend (13 May 2014). "Paul Mason to become Economics Editor at Channel 4 News". Features Exec Media Database - Media Bulletin. London. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
3. Chadwick, Gareth (1 June 2004). "It's grim down south: an interview with Faisal Islam". Platform. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
4. "Channel4 News". channel4.com. Archived from the original on 29 June 2008. Retrieved 13 November 2008.
5. Jason Deans "Faisal Islam replaces Adam Boulton as Sky News political editor", 20 March 2014
6. "Sky News Political Editor defects to BBC". Prolific North. 6 November 2018.
7. Mayhew, Freddy (4 February 2019). "Beth Rigby named next Sky News political editor". Press Gazette. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
8. "Faisal Islam wins Broadcast News Journalism Award". channel4.com. Retrieved 13 November 2008.
9. "The Work Foundation". Archived from the original on 17 July 2011.
10. "British Muslim Awards 2015 finalists unveiled". Asian Image. 23 January 2015. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
11. "Television Journalism Awards 2017". Royal Television Society. 1 March 2017. Retrieved 4 June 2017.

External links

• Faisal Islam on Twitter
• Images of Faisal Islam