Deborah Turness | |
|---|---|
 Turness inRio de Janeiro in 2016 | |
| Born | (1967-03-04)4 March 1967 (age 58) |
| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | University of Bordeaux (PgDip)[2] University of Surrey (BA)[2] |
| Occupation(s) | Journalist,media executive |
| Years active | 1988–present[2] |
| Organization(s) | ITN (until 2022) BBC News (from 2022) |
| Title | CEO |
| Term | 19 April 2021–present[3] |
| Predecessor | Anna Mallett |
| Spouse | John Toker[4] |
| Children | 2[4] |
| Awards | Amnesty International UK Media Award (2008)[5] Women in Television and Film Awards (2008) The News and Factual Award[6] |
Deborah Mary Turness (born 4 March 1967) is an English journalist, CEO ofBBC News and ofITN (2021).[3][7] Prior to this she was president ofNBC News (2013–2017) and then president of NBC News International.[8] Before NBC, Turness waseditor ofITV News (2004–2013), which made her the UK's first female editor of the network news.[9][10]
Born in Meriden,Solihull, England, Turness was educated atSt Francis' College andThe Knights Templar School inBaldock, Hertfordshire. Turness studied at theUniversity of Surrey, where she took a degree in French and English;[2] she then took a postgraduate course in journalism at theUniversity of Bordeaux, France.
Turness joinedITN in 1988 as a freelance producer in the Paris Bureau straight from university, before becoming ITN's North of England producer in 1991. In 1993, she joined the ITN Bureau inWashington as a producer.
In 2000, Turness was Deputy Editor ofFive News before being promoted to Editor in 2002. At Five News she famously did away with desks in the studio, thereby introducing the concept of 'perching presenters'.[2] During 2002, she worked onChannel 4'sRI:SE as Producer before quitting after six months to rejoin ITV News as Deputy Editor.[11] In 2004, she became the Editor of ITV News, being the first woman to become the head of network news. In 2008, Turness won 'The News and Factual Award' presented by Women in Television and Film.[6] Also in 2008, she was the co-winner of anAmnesty International UK Media Awards for the television news report 'Too Young to Die – Children of the Frontline'.[5] In 2010, she chaired the MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival.[9]
As Editor of ITN, Turness presided over a series of scoops and world exclusives including the arrest of theLondon bomber and the leaked investigation report on theshooting of Jean Charles de Menezes.[9][10] In May 2011, she was the only journalist invited to theBuckingham PalaceState Banquet forBarack Obama. She was described as one of London's 1000 most influential people in 2011.[12]
In 2013, she was appointed president ofNBC News and served in the role until February 2017.[8] Under her leadership the news division had gains in ratings forMeet the Press and theNightly News shows, but she appointed Jamie Horowitz to runToday, who only lasted ten weeks in the role.[8][13] In response to theBrian Williams controversy over his misleading statements, Turness was criticised heavily.Vanity Fair reported that several NBC News executives were displeased at her work and felt she was not qualified to do the job.[14]
In February 2017,Noah Oppenheim took over as president of NBC News and Turness was appointed president of a new division called NBC News International that was NBC's side in a partnership withEuronews, in which each network would contribute reporting to the other.[8][15] She moved back to the UK.[15]
In April 2021, Turness left her role at NBC and returned toITN as chief executive officer.[3]
In January 2022, Turness was appointed CEO ofBBC News.[7] She joined theBBC Board in September 2022 for a two-year term.[16]
Turness lived inShepherd's Bush in London with her first husband, television journalist Damien Steward.[2] In 1991, she competed in the Paris to Peking Offroad 4x4 Car Rally.[2]
On 26 August 2011, she marriedJohn Toker, the former Director of Communications for Security and Intelligence at theCabinet Office and anITN producer.
The couple have two children.[4]
