John Hooper (journalist)
Encyclopedia
John Edward Francis Hooper (born 17 July 1950, Westminster, UK) is a British journalist, author and broadcaster. He is currently the Rome correspondent of The Economist
and The Guardian
.
in London and St Catharine's College, Cambridge
. In his first year, he travelled to the breakaway state of Biafra
to help make a television documentary on the Nigerian Civil war
.
as a current affairs reporter. In 1973, he became Diplomatic Correspondent of the then newly-established Independent Radio News
. The following year he went to Cyprus
following the Turkish invasion of the island
as a freelance correspondent for a number of news organisations including the BBC, the Guardian and The Economist.
In 1976, after the death of Spain
’s dictator, Francisco Franco
, Hooper was asked by the Guardian to become its correspondent in Madrid. Over the next three years, he covered the country’s transition from dictatorship to democracy. He returned to Madrid as correspondent for The Observer
, Guardian and Economist in 1988, remaining until 1994. In the intervening years, he worked on the London staff of the Guardian and from 1984 to 1988 was a presenter of the BBC World Service
programme, Twenty Four Hours.
Between 1994 and 1999, he was based in Rome as Southern Europe Correspondent for the Guardian and Observer. He brought to light the so-called ‘Ship of Death’ migrant trafficking disaster of December 25, 1996 and was a member of the award-winning Observer team that investigated its aftermath. Hooper was Central Europe Correspondent for the same two papers, based in Berlin, until 2003 when he returned to Rome.
He covered the war in Kosovo
and was in Afghanistan in 2001 during the Battle of Tora Bora
and the search by US allies for Osama bin Laden
.
Book Review.
The Economist
The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in offices in the City of Westminster, London, England. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843...
and The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
.
Early life
Son of the artist and writer William John ('Bill') Hooper ("Raff") (1916-1996 ), John Hooper was educated at St Benedict's SchoolSt Benedict's School
St Benedict's School is a co-educational independent Roman Catholic school situated in Ealing, West London. The school is part of Ealing Abbey and is governed by the Abbot and monks of Ealing. As the only day school of the English Houses of the English Benedictine Congregation, the school does not...
in London and St Catharine's College, Cambridge
St Catharine's College, Cambridge
St. Catharine’s College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1473, the college is often referred to informally by the nickname "Catz".-History:...
. In his first year, he travelled to the breakaway state of Biafra
Biafra
Biafra, officially the Republic of Biafra, was a secessionist state in south-eastern Nigeria that existed from 30 May 1967 to 15 January 1970, taking its name from the Bight of Biafra . The inhabitants were mostly the Igbo people who led the secession due to economic, ethnic, cultural and religious...
to help make a television documentary on the Nigerian Civil war
Nigerian Civil War
The Nigerian Civil War, also known as the Nigerian-Biafran War, 6 July 1967–15 January 1970, was a political conflict caused by the attempted secession of the southeastern provinces of Nigeria as the self-proclaimed Republic of Biafra...
.
Career
After graduating, Hooper worked for the BBCBBC
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...
as a current affairs reporter. In 1973, he became Diplomatic Correspondent of the then newly-established Independent Radio News
Independent Radio News
Independent Radio News provides a service of news bulletins, audio and copy to commercial radio stations in the UK and beyond.The managing director of IRN is Tim Molloy, who succeeded long-term MD John Perkins in November 2009...
. The following year he went to Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
following the Turkish invasion of the island
Turkish invasion of Cyprus
The Turkish invasion of Cyprus, launched on 20 July 1974, was a Turkish military invasion in response to a Greek military junta backed coup in Cyprus...
as a freelance correspondent for a number of news organisations including the BBC, the Guardian and The Economist.
In 1976, after the death of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
’s dictator, Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
, Hooper was asked by the Guardian to become its correspondent in Madrid. Over the next three years, he covered the country’s transition from dictatorship to democracy. He returned to Madrid as correspondent for The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
, Guardian and Economist in 1988, remaining until 1994. In the intervening years, he worked on the London staff of the Guardian and from 1984 to 1988 was a presenter of the 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...
programme, Twenty Four Hours.
Between 1994 and 1999, he was based in Rome as Southern Europe Correspondent for the Guardian and Observer. He brought to light the so-called ‘Ship of Death’ migrant trafficking disaster of December 25, 1996 and was a member of the award-winning Observer team that investigated its aftermath. Hooper was Central Europe Correspondent for the same two papers, based in Berlin, until 2003 when he returned to Rome.
He covered the war in Kosovo
Kosovo War
The term Kosovo War or Kosovo conflict was two sequential, and at times parallel, armed conflicts in Kosovo province, then part of FR Yugoslav Republic of Serbia; from early 1998 to 1999, there was an armed conflict initiated by the ethnic Albanian "Kosovo Liberation Army" , who sought independence...
and was in Afghanistan in 2001 during the Battle of Tora Bora
Battle of Tora Bora
The Battle of Tora Bora was a military engagement that took place in Afghanistan in December 2001, during the opening stages of the war in that country launched following the 9/11 attacks on the United States. The U.S...
and the search by US allies for Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
.
Publications
Hooper’s The Spaniards: A portrait of the new Spain won the 1987 Allen Lane award for a best first work of history or literature. He later published two expanded and revised versions as The New Spaniards (1995 and 2006). The 2006 edition was described as "essential reading for all who wish to understand the new Spain" by The SpectatorThe Spectator
The Spectator is a weekly British magazine first published on 6 July 1828. It is currently owned by David and Frederick Barclay, who also owns The Daily Telegraph. Its principal subject areas are politics and culture...
Book Review.
- John Hooper, The Spaniards: a portrait of the new Spain New York: Viking, 1986. ISBN 0140098089
- John Hooper, The New Spaniards Penguin, 2006. ISBN 0141016094