Carrie Gracie
Encyclopedia
Carrie Gracie is a Scottish
journalist
and newsreader
for BBC News.
executive; Gracie was born while he was on assignment in Bahrain
. She was educated in Aberdeenshire
and Glasgow
. She studied at University of Edinburgh
, where she edited the student newspaper, before leaving to run her own restaurant for a year. She then graduated from the University of Oxford
with a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics.
In 1985 she went to China
to teach English and Economics
at Yantai
and Chongqing
Universities. On her return to Britain
a year later she managed a small film company.
She obtained a BA
in Chinese in 1996 followed by an MA
in Design for Interactive Media from Middlesex University
.
in 1987 as a trainee producer, working in many areas at the headquarters in London
as well as on assignment, including Africa
n, Chinese and Asia-Pacific
regions. She became a correspondent for BBC World Service
and then for domestic radio and television in Beijing
in 1991. Gracie moved back to the UK in 1999 as a presenter on BBC News
and on World Service. Since January 2008 she has been the main morning presenter on BBC News each Tuesday to Friday alongside Simon McCoy
, previously her co-presenter on Fridays. She is also a presenter for the BBC World Service programme "The Interview".
Highlights of her career include covering the death of Deng Xiaoping
and the handover of Hong Kong
in 1997. More recently, Gracie took part in the BBC's coverage of the 2008 Summer Olympics
in Beijing
, as a co-commentator
during the opening
and closing ceremonies. In October 2008, she was presented with the inaugural Nick Clarke Award
for her interview with BBC journalist Alan Johnston
, who was kidnapped
by the Palestinian Army of Islam
in 2007.
In an interview with George Foulkes, Baron Foulkes of Cumnock
on the BBC News Channel (12 May 2009) about the MPs' expenses row, Gracie was asked how much she earned. When she stated that her salary is £92,000, Foulkes accused her of being paid "nearly twice as much" as Members of Parliament to "talk nonsense" and "undermine politicians" without mentioning the constituency work done by MPs.
. She has two children with Chinese
rock
musician Jin (born 1958): Rachel (born 1996), and Daniel (born 1998). The children both spent a term in a Chinese school.
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
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...
and newsreader
News presenter
A news presenter is a person who presents news during a news program in the format of a television show, on the radio or the Internet.News presenters can work in a radio studio, television studio and from remote broadcasts in the field especially weather...
for BBC News.
Background
Gracie's father was a Scottish oilOil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
executive; Gracie was born while he was on assignment in Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
. She was educated in Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area.The present day Aberdeenshire council area does not include the City of Aberdeen, now a separate council area, from which its name derives. Together, the modern council area and the city formed historic...
and Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
. She studied at University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
, where she edited the student newspaper, before leaving to run her own restaurant for a year. She then graduated from 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...
with a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics.
In 1985 she went to China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
to teach English and Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
at Yantai
Yantai University
Yantai University is a public university in Yantai, Shandong, China.-History:Yantai University was established as a modern comprehensive university along the coast in Yantai, July, 1984, from a generous bequest by Sir Zhang Chengxian . Sir Zhang Chengxian was appointed the first...
and Chongqing
Chongqing University
Chongqing University is a comprehensive national university in the Shapingba District of Chongqing municipality, China. It is a member of the Project 211 and Project 985 which aims to transform Chinese universities into better research institutions.-History:...
Universities. On her return to Britain
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...
a year later she managed a small film company.
She obtained 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 Chinese in 1996 followed by an MA
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in Design for Interactive Media from Middlesex University
Middlesex University
Middlesex University is a university in north London, England. It is located in the historic county boundaries of Middlesex from which it takes its name. It is one of the post-1992 universities and is a member of Million+ working group...
.
BBC career
Gracie joined the BBC World ServiceBBC 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...
in 1987 as a trainee producer, working in many areas at the headquarters 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...
as well as on assignment, including Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n, Chinese and Asia-Pacific
Asia-Pacific
Asia-Pacific or Asia Pacific is the part of the world in or near the Western Pacific Ocean...
regions. She became a correspondent for 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 then for domestic radio and television in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
in 1991. Gracie moved back to the UK in 1999 as a presenter on 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 on World Service. Since January 2008 she has been the main morning presenter on BBC News each Tuesday to Friday alongside Simon McCoy
Simon McCoy
Simon McCoy is a newsreader for the BBC, and is currently a regular presenter on the rolling news channel BBC News between 8.30am and 11am. He is also a relief presenter of the BBC News at One and of BBC Weekend News.-Early life:...
, previously her co-presenter on Fridays. She is also a presenter for the BBC World Service programme "The Interview".
Highlights of her career include covering the death of Deng Xiaoping
Deng Xiaoping
Deng Xiaoping was a Chinese politician, statesman, and diplomat. As leader of the Communist Party of China, Deng was a reformer who led China towards a market economy...
and the handover of Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
in 1997. More recently, Gracie took part in the BBC's coverage of the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, as a co-commentator
Color commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
during the opening
Opening ceremony
An opening ceremony is the official opening of a building or event. The opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup are huge events involving thousands of participants and watched by a massive worldwide audience. On a much smaller scale, some ceremonies mark the opening of a...
and closing ceremonies. In October 2008, she was presented with the inaugural Nick Clarke Award
Nick Clarke Award
The Nick Clarke Award is a journalism prize created by the BBC in honour of Nick Clarke, former presenter of BBC Radio 4's The World At One, who died in November 2006...
for her interview with BBC journalist Alan Johnston
Alan Johnston
Alan Graham Johnston is a British journalist working for the BBC. He has been the BBC's correspondent in Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and the Gaza Strip, and is currently the correspondent in Rome...
, who was kidnapped
Kidnapping of Alan Johnston
The kidnapping of Alan Johnston, a BBC journalist, by the Palestinian Durmush Hamula in Gaza City began on 12 March 2007 and lasted for nearly four months ....
by the Palestinian Army of Islam
Army of Islam (Gaza Strip)
Army of Islam , also known as Tawhid and Jihad Brigades, is the name used by the Doghmush Hamula for their Islamic militant activities. It is located at the Tzabra neighborhood in the center of the Gaza Strip bordered by Israel and Egypt...
in 2007.
In an interview with George Foulkes, Baron Foulkes of Cumnock
George Foulkes, Baron Foulkes of Cumnock
George Foulkes, Baron Foulkes of Cumnock, PC is a British Labour Party life peer. He has been a member of the House of Commons, the House of Lords and the Scottish Parliament...
on the BBC News Channel (12 May 2009) about the MPs' expenses row, Gracie was asked how much she earned. When she stated that her salary is £92,000, Foulkes accused her of being paid "nearly twice as much" as Members of Parliament to "talk nonsense" and "undermine politicians" without mentioning the constituency work done by MPs.
Personal life
Gracie speaks good MandarinStandard Mandarin
Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Chinese, also known as Mandarin or Putonghua, is the official language of the People's Republic of China and Republic of China , and is one of the four official languages of Singapore....
. She has two children with Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
musician Jin (born 1958): Rachel (born 1996), and Daniel (born 1998). The children both spent a term in a Chinese school.