Faisal Islam | |
|---|---|
 Islam in 2016 | |
| Born | (1977-05-29)29 May 1977 (age 47) Manchester, England |
| Education | Manchester Grammar School |
| Alma mater | Trinity College, Cambridge City University London |
| Occupation | Economics editor |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Employer | BBC News |
| Notable credit(s) | The Observer Channel 4 News Sky News |
Faisal Islam (born 29 May 1977) is a British political and economicsjournalist who is the economics editor ofBBC News and an occasional presenter ofNewsnight. He was the political editor ofSky News from 2014 to 2019, and from May 2004 was business correspondent and later economics editor ofChannel 4 News until June 2014.[1][2]
Born on 29 May 1977 toBengali parents fromWest Bengal,India, Faisal Islam was brought up inDidsbury, Manchester.[3][4] He was educated atThe Manchester Grammar School, anindependent school in Manchester, followed byTrinity College, Cambridge. In 2000, he gained a post-graduate diploma innewspaper journalism fromCity University inLondon.
Islam was formerly aneconomics correspondent forThe Observer newspaper. He became business correspondent forChannel 4 News in May 2004, later becoming its economics editor, a position he held until 1 June 2014, when he was replaced byPaul Mason, the programme's formerculture andmedia editor.[2]
Islam has reported on the ups and downs of the corporate world from government-subsidised arms dealers and failingPFI contracts to how bankers are tradingweather.[5] Islam was named as successor to the long-serving political editorAdam Boulton ofSky News; he took up his new post before theScottish independence referendum took place in September 2014.[6] Boulton then presented a mid-morning news programme,All Out Politics, on the same channel.[6]
In November 2018 it was announced that he would replaceKamal Ahmed as BBC News's economics editor, effective summer 2019.[7] He was replaced at Sky News in his role as political editor byBeth Rigby, previously the deputy political editor.[8]
Since 2020 Islam has occasionally presented editions ofNewsnight when the show's regular presenters have been unavailable.
In 2000, Islam was awarded the Wincott Award for Young Financial Journalist of the Year, and shortlisted for Young Journalist of the Year at theBritish Press Awards for 2001.[5]
In February 2006, Islam was named Young Journalist of the Year at theRoyal Society of Television awards.[5]
In January 2007, Islam was the winner of the year's Broadcast News Journalism Award at the Workworld Media Awards.[9]
In May 2009, Islam received the Wincott Foundation's award for Best Television Coverage of a Topical Issue, won particularly for his work on the growing financial problems of the Icelandic banks. The judges said of the report "... here was something really new, completely convincing, with a stellar interview and free of many of the visual clichés which characterised too many financial programmes." In 2009, he was awarded theBusiness Journalist of the Year, as well as the BJOYA award for Best Broadcast Story – again for his report on the Icelandic banks.
In January 2010, Islam was named Broadcast News Reporter of the Year by the WorkWorld Foundation for 2009, with the judges saying "his excellent writing converts abstract economics to something accessible to all, informing viewers in a compelling and original way."[10]
In January 2015, Islam was nominated for the Services to Media award at theBritish Muslim Awards.[11]
In March 2017, he won theRoyal Television Society award for the Interview of the Year for his interview with ex-Prime MinisterDavid Cameron.[12]
| Media offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Political Editor ofSky News 2014–2019 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Economics Editor:BBC News 2019–present | Incumbent |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
