Fran unsworth biography

Fran Unsworth

British radio executive (born )

Francesca Mary Unsworth (born 29 December ) is a British journalist and media executive.

Fran unsworth biography Unsworth was appointed Head of Newsgathering in January Unsworth was born on in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. Wikimedia Commons Wikidata item. She was appointed in succession to James Harding.

From January to , she was Director, News & Current Affairs for BBC News.[1][2] She was appointed in succession to James Harding. Before then, she served in various senior positions in the BBC, including director of the BBC World Service Group. Previously, she was acting director of News at the BBC from November until August and a member of the BBC's executive board.

In , she was appointed deputy director of News and Current Affairs.[3]

Early life and education

Unsworth was born on in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire.[4] She attended St Dominic's High School, Stoke-on-Trent, a direct grant grammar school.[3][5] She studied drama at the University of Manchester but was unable to get into a drama school and so switched careers to publishing in London.[6]

BBC career

Unsworth began her broadcasting career in local radio, working at BBC Radio Leicester and BBC Radio Bristol, before going on to become producer of Radio 1's Newsbeat.

In , she moved to Radio 4 and was based in Washington as a radio producer for the network during the Gulf crisis of – She worked as a producer on The World at One and PM while at Radio 4.[7]

She moved to the BBC's Newsgathering Department in , where she had responsibility for UK domestic news, and was a producer and editor for the BBC One O'Clock News and the BBC Six O'Clock News.

Unsworth was appointed Head of Newsgathering in January [8]

In December , Unsworth appeared on the BBC's Newswatch programme, responding to accusations of double standards in BBC News reporting of racial crimes when white people were the victims. Complainants suggested the BBC buried stories such as the racist murder of Kriss Donald, with comparable murders involving black victims given twelve times more coverage and the opening of an arts centre in Gateshead reported in preference to Donald's murder.

Unsworth admitted the case had not been covered sufficiently and that there had been space to do so.[9] Her department again failed to cover the case adequately the following year.[10][11] In , BBC News was criticised for referring to looters in the London riots as "protesters", even two days into the violence.[12] In response to 62 complaints about the matter, Unsworth conceded that the BBC had been wrong to do so.[13]

In November , Unsworth was appointed acting director of News after Helen Boaden stepped aside while Nick Pollard prepared his report into the BBC's non-coverage of the Jimmy Savile sexual abuse scandal.[14][15] She ceased working in this role in August and was appointed deputy director of News and Current Affairs.[3] In November , Unsworth was replaced as Head of Newsgathering by Jonathan Munro.[16]

In August , Unsworth ordered helicopter filming of a police raid on a mansion belonging to singer Cliff Richard.

The coverage led to Richard suing the BBC for breach of privacy.[17] On 8 May , The Guardian reported: "Sir Cliff Richard is seeking a payment of at least £, from the BBC following the broadcaster's coverage of a police raid at his home in " In July, Richard was awarded £, in damages and the BBC agreed to pay £2 million in legal costs.

Unsworth apologised to Richard and stated that "there were elements of its coverage that should have been handled differently" but criticised the ruling as an attack on liberty and press freedoms.[18][19]

In January , she was invited to present evidence at a parliamentary select committee meeting on gender pay gap at the BBC.

This was initiated by the resignation of the then China editor Carrie Gracie in the same month over the same issue.

Fran unsworth biography death Expand the sub menu Docs. In , she moved to Radio 4 and was based in Washington as a radio producer for the network during the Gulf crisis of — The Irish News. Francesca Mary Unsworth born 29 December is a British journalist and media executive.

Unsworth defended the pay gap between Grace and the BBC's North America editor Jon Sopel as Sopel was "on air twice as much" and that "The China job [is] a more features-based agenda".[20] Gracie also reported that Unsworth had privately commented to a colleague that the pay gap was due to her being part-time.[21] Unsworth denied this stating "I did the contract, I knew she wasn't" but apologised to her for causing a 'misunderstanding' due to 'loose' language.[22] BBC and Gracie agreed to an equal pay deal in June and she donated the back pay awarded to charity.[23]

In September , it was announced that Unsworth will leave the BBC in after 40 years.[24]

Other roles

Unsworth was president of the Society of Editors between and , and is a board member of the organisation.[25][26][27] She is also a board member of the European Union's Erasmus Mundus programme.[28]

References

  1. ^Inside the BBC, Executive Committee, Francesca Unsworth, Director, News and Current Affairs retrieved 1 February
  2. ^"BBC appoints Fran Unsworth as next head of news".

    BBC News. 15 December Archived from the original on 15 December Retrieved 15 December

  3. ^ abc"BBC – Francesca Unsworth, Director, BBC World Service Group and Deputy Director of News and Current Affairs – Inside the BBC". About the BBC. Archived from the original on 20 November Retrieved 23 September
  4. ^"Unsworth, Francesca Mary, (born 29 Dec.

    ), Director, News and Current Affairs, BBC News, since ". WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO. doi/ww/u ISBN&#;. Retrieved 7 September

  5. ^"Toffs at the top". Press Gazette. 7 October Archived from the original on 7 October
  6. ^"Fran Unsworth: Facing the challenges for BBC News head on".

    Royal Television Society. April

  7. ^"Francesca Unsworth".

    Fran unsworth biography children Early life and education [ edit ]. Retrieved 4 October The Irish News. It also reaches a global audience of million people per week in English and over 40 different Languages.

    About the BBC. Retrieved 5 October

  8. ^"Profile: Francesca Unsworth". BBC News. 12 November Archived from the original on 13 November Retrieved 12 November
  9. ^Presenter:Raymond Snoddy, Interviewee: Fran Unsworth (11 December ). "NewsWatch". NewsWatch. London, UK. BBC. BBC 1, BBC News Channel.

  10. Fran Unsworth - media.info
  11. BBC's director of news Fran Unsworth to leave the corporation
  12. Item 1 of 2
  13. Item 6 of 10
  14. Fran Unsworth - Biography - IMDb

    15. Archived from the original on 20 October

  15. ^Presenter:Raymond Snoddy, Interviewee: Peter Horrocks (30 October ). "NewsWatch". NewsWatch. London, UK. BBC. BBC 1, BBC News Channel.

    Fran unsworth biography wikipedia Sep 7, am PT. Unsworth apologised to Richard and stated that "there were elements of its coverage that should have been handled differently" but criticised the ruling as an attack on liberty and press freedoms. The process to appoint her successor will begin shortly, the BBC said. Archived PDF from the original on 11 August

    Archived from the original on 4 November

  16. ^The BBC Trust (23 January ). "Editorial Standards Findings: Appeals to the Trust and other editorial standards matters considered by the Editorial Standards Committee"(PDF). Archived(PDF) from the original on 2 May Retrieved 2 May
  17. ^"London riots: BBC criticised for branding thugs as 'protesters'".

    . Archived from the original on 22 September Retrieved 21 September

  18. ^"London rioters are not 'protesters', admits BBC &#; Media &#; the Guardian".

    Fran unsworth biography images: Expand the sub menu Music. Undoubtedly, some were more fun than others. Expand the sub menu What to Hear. Expand the sub menu More Variety.

    . Archived from the original on 5 October Retrieved 4 October

  19. ^"BBC news executives 'step aside'". BBC News. 12 November Archived from the original on 8 April Retrieved 17 April
  20. ^"Fran Unsworth named new director of BBC News". Digital Spy. 12 November Archived from the original on 24 September Retrieved 21 September
  21. ^"BBC News announces two new senior appointments".

    BBC. Archived from the original on 24 November Retrieved 21 September

  22. ^Bowcott, Owen (12 April ). "Coverage of raid on Cliff Richard's home was in public interest, BBC tells court". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 April
  23. ^Waterson, Jim (18 July ). "Cliff Richard wins £, in damages over BBC privacy case".

    The Guardian.

  24. ^"Sir Cliff Richard: BBC pays £2m in final settlement after privacy case". BBC News. 4 September
  25. ^Singh, Anita (29 June ). "Carrie Gracie wins £, in pay battle with BBC as broadcaster apologises over unequal salary". The Daily Telegraph.
  26. ^Ruddick, Graham (31 January ).

    "Trust is broken at BBC over equal pay, Carrie Gracie tells MPs". The Guardian.

  27. ^"Fran Unsworth: I did not say Carrie Gracie was part-time". The Irish News. 31 January
  28. ^Sweney, Mark (29 June ). "BBC reaches equal pay deal with former China editor Carrie Gracie".

    The Guardian.

  29. ^"Fran Unsworth to leave BBC". BBC Media Centre. 7 September Retrieved 7 September
  30. ^"Society of Editors, Fighting for media freedom". . Archived from the original on 24 September Retrieved 23 September
  31. ^"Society of Editors Show goes on despite the notable absentees".

    Press Gazette. Archived from the original on 22 September Retrieved 21 September

  32. ^"Fighting for media freedom". Society of Editors.

  33. Fran unsworth biography images
  34. Fran unsworth biography husband
  35. Fran unsworth biography net worth

    36. Archived from the original on 11 August Retrieved 21 September

  36. ^"BBC Declaration of Personal Interests"(PDF). . Archived(PDF) from the original on 11 August Retrieved 23 September

External links