Gavin Hewitt
Encyclopedia
Gavin Hewitt is a British journalist and presenter, currently BBC News
's Europe Editor, a post he has held since September 2009.
St John's School in Leatherhead
, Surrey
and St. John's College, University of Durham. Prior to his work at the BBC, he lived in Canada and worked as a correspondent for Canadian television.
Hewitt joined the BBC's Panorama
as a presenter in 1984 and was in East Berlin when the Berlin Wall
came down. He conducted the first British television interview with Oliver North
after the Iran Contra scandal, and later wrote a book about the hostage crisis in the Lebanon. While working at Panorama, Gavin made "The Case Of India One" which led to an investigation into police corruption. He also made the film "Escape From Tiananmen", which broke the story of Operation Yellow Bird - the underground network used to smuggle student leaders and others out of China.
He has been the BBC's Washington Correspondent on several occasions, and has made three films about President Bill Clinton
, including All The President's Women, and The Shaming Of The President. In 2003 he was one of three reporters to use David Kelly as a source for the BBC story claiming that the British Government had "sexed up" a dossier describing Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. He later gave evidence on the affair to the Hutton Inquiry
.
In 2008 Gavin covered the United States Presidential Election primaries and Democratic Nominee for President Barack Obama's visit to the Middle East and Europe in the summer of 2008. Hewitt also covered Barack Obama's campaign for President during the autumn of that year, broadcasting from Grant Park when Obama was elected the first African American President of the United States on Tuesday November 4th 2008. He then also covered Obama's Inauguration on January 20th 2009.
During the War in Georgia in August 2008 Hewitt and producer and cameraman came under fire from a Russian fighter plane whilst covering the War on the front line.
also won a Bafta award.
tribute to Princess Diana and in 1998 made Charles: A Life in Waiting - a portrait of Prince Charles at 50 for Panorama and the US Arts and Entertainment channel. He has also worked for the BBC's Natural History Unit making two programmes about the "Land Of The Tiger", and wrote and presented "Another Silent Spring" about the effect of pesticides on wildlife.
He presented Crisis Command - Could you run the country?
- a BBC TV show where three people are given the chance to take ministerial decisions in a real-time dramatisation of a potential national emergency (flooding, terrorist attack etc.). He has written A Soul on Ice - a book about his time as a journalist.
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...
's Europe Editor, a post he has held since September 2009.
Life and career
Hewitt was educated at the independent schoolIndependent 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...
St John's School in Leatherhead
Leatherhead
Leatherhead is a town in the County of Surrey, England, on the River Mole, part of Mole Valley district. It is thought to be of Saxon origin...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
and St. John's College, University of Durham. Prior to his work at the BBC, he lived in Canada and worked as a correspondent for Canadian television.
Hewitt joined the BBC's Panorama
Panorama (TV series)
Panorama is a BBC Television current affairs documentary programme, which was first broadcast in 1953, and is the longest-running public affairs television programme in the world. Panorama has been presented by many well known BBC presenters, including Richard Dimbleby, Robin Day, David Dimbleby...
as a presenter in 1984 and was in East Berlin when the Berlin Wall
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...
came down. He conducted the first British television interview with Oliver North
Oliver North
Oliver Laurence North is a retired U.S. Marine Corps officer, political commentator, host of War Stories with Oliver North on Fox News Channel, a military historian, and a New York Times best-selling author....
after the Iran Contra scandal, and later wrote a book about the hostage crisis in the Lebanon. While working at Panorama, Gavin made "The Case Of India One" which led to an investigation into police corruption. He also made the film "Escape From Tiananmen", which broke the story of Operation Yellow Bird - the underground network used to smuggle student leaders and others out of China.
He has been the BBC's Washington Correspondent on several occasions, and has made three films about President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, including All The President's Women, and The Shaming Of The President. In 2003 he was one of three reporters to use David Kelly as a source for the BBC story claiming that the British Government had "sexed up" a dossier describing Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. He later gave evidence on the affair 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...
.
In 2008 Gavin covered the United States Presidential Election primaries and Democratic Nominee for President Barack Obama's visit to the Middle East and Europe in the summer of 2008. Hewitt also covered Barack Obama's campaign for President during the autumn of that year, broadcasting from Grant Park when Obama was elected the first African American President of the United States on Tuesday November 4th 2008. He then also covered Obama's Inauguration on January 20th 2009.
During the War in Georgia in August 2008 Hewitt and producer and cameraman came under fire from a Russian fighter plane whilst covering the War on the front line.
Awards
Hewitt won the Royal Television Society Award in 2001 for his coverage of the Oldham riots and also won the Broadcast Award for "England's Shame", an investigation into football hooliganism at Euro 2000. His report on the Madrid bombingsMadrid bombings
Madrid bombings may refer to:-* the 1974 Cafetería Rolando bombing* the 1985 El Descanso bombing* the 1986 Plaza República Dominicana bombing* the 1993 Madrid bombings, an ETA attack which killed six people* the 1995 Vallecas attack...
also won a Bafta award.
Other work
In 1997, Gavin wrote and presented the BBC OneBBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
tribute to Princess Diana and in 1998 made Charles: A Life in Waiting - a portrait of Prince Charles at 50 for Panorama and the US Arts and Entertainment channel. He has also worked for the BBC's Natural History Unit making two programmes about the "Land Of The Tiger", and wrote and presented "Another Silent Spring" about the effect of pesticides on wildlife.
He presented Crisis Command - Could you run the country?
Crisis Command
Crisis Command — Could You Run the Country? was a 2004 BBC2 role-playing interactive drama documentary which was based on realistic scenarios and dramatised situations that Britain could face one day....
- a BBC TV show where three people are given the chance to take ministerial decisions in a real-time dramatisation of a potential national emergency (flooding, terrorist attack etc.). He has written A Soul on Ice - a book about his time as a journalist.