The year 1982 marked the launch of the popular Channel 4 News by the overarching company ITN. The latter also produces ITV News and 5 News.
Statistically, 66% of viewers say that Channel 4 is a trustworthy news source, according to the latest Ofcom news consumption survey.
One of the staples of the channel was Jon Snow, who presented for 32 years before leaving in 2021. However, he left behind very talented and diligent news presenters. These are the main ones.
Who are the Channel 4 News presenters?
Krishnan Guru-Murthy
Krishnan Guru-Murthy is one of Channel 4 News’ presenters / Image: Getty
Channel 4 News’ main anchor Krishnan Guru-Murthy has been part of the team since 1998.
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Guru-Murthy’s career started ten years before joining Channel 4, when he began working with the BBC’s programme Open to Question. From 1991 to 1994, the presenter reported for the children’s programme Newsround. Afterwards, he worked as a producer for Newsnight until 1997, when he became one of the first presenters for BBC News 24.
Since joining Channel 4 News in 1998, he has reported on many events, such as 9/11 and the Mumbai attacks, as well as directing special war reports from Syria, Yemen and Gaza.
Nowadays, Guru-Murthy has had his own foreign affairs series titled Unreported World since 2011 and also comments on major live events on Channel 4, like the Paralympics Ceremonies in 2012. He is now the second-longest serving anchor to have presented on Channel 4 News after Jon Snow.
In October 2022, Guru-Murthy was taken off-air for a week because, thinking his microphone was switched off, he called Conservative MP Steve Baker a “c**t”. After the interview, the journalist kept speaking to the MP outside Downing Street.
“It wasn’t a stupid question Steve – you know it. I’m very happy to go up against you on Truss any day,” he said. Stifling a laugh to himself, Guru-Murthy whispered “What a c**t”.
Cathy Newman
Cathy Newman joined Channel 4 News in 2006 / Image: Getty
Cathy Newman has been working for Channel 4 News since 2006, and she was the first female main presenter of the programme.
Newman worked briefly on The Guardian’s Books section in 1995, then as a trainee at Media Week. Then she became a media business correspondent at The Independent and joined the Financial Times at the age of 23.
Newman recalled to Press Gazette that, when working at The Telegraph, she felt like there was an “odd instance of sexism directed at me”. while working as the Westminster correspondent. She also said that “the peer who sent salacious texts” and “the MP who assumed I was a secretary because I was a woman” were typical instances, that happened once too many times.
More recently, the anchor was on hand to announce the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for Channel 4.
Matt Frei
Matt Frei started as a Washington DC correspondent / Image: YouTube, Channel 4 News
Matt Frei joined Channel 4 in 2011 as a Washington DC correspondent, rising to become Europe editor and presenter.
Straight after his degree, Frei joined the BBC as a stringer, being sent around the world to report live. As a foreign affairs correspondent, he covered the First Intifada in 1987 in Jerusalem and the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.
While working at the BBC, Frei anchored the BBC World News America bulletin, as well as being the Washington correspondent from 2002 to 2005. He also presented a weekly radio show called Americana. Reporting from Rome, Bosnia, Kosovo and Singapore, Frei built his reputation as a foreign correspondent.
In 2007, Frei became the first presenter of the BBC World News programme from Washington, called BBC World News America, alongside co-anchor Katty Kay.
In 2011, when Frei left BBC for ITN, he said: “I’ve always admired Channel 4 because it’s cross between current affairs and news. Newsnight with a bit of a newsy edge at a decent hour.”
“If I can go out somewhere and do a cracking piece for Channel 4 News and at the same time present part of the news bulletin from the location, that is a really attractive way of going about my business,” he explained.
Frei has many interests, and one of them is writing: he is the author of two books. The first one is Italy: The Unfinished Revolution (1996) and Only In America (2008).
Frei has also presented a 10am show on LBC since 2016 but, since the Russia-Ukraine war, Frei has been busy reporting from Kyiv and therefore has been intermittently unable to host that show.
Jackie Long
Jackie Long is the social affairs editor on Channel 4 News / Image: YoutTube / Channel 4 News
C4 News social affairs editor and presenter Jackie Long came from almost two decades of work for the BBC when she joined the channel in 2011.
When Long joined Channel 4, the News Editor Jim Gray said: “Jackie’s connection to modern Britain through her reporting in this area will be a great asset to us. It’s an exciting time for the programme.”
Many of the stories Long covered regarded child sexual exploitation, criminal exploitation and universal credit.
More recently, she worked as a correspondent at Newsnight, as well as working on The World at One, PM and Five Live.
Who are the Channel 4 News Correspondents?
Alex Thomson
Alex Thomson is the longest-serving on-screen journalist on C4 News, operating since the channel was born. Thomson is now the chief correspondent, having covered over 20 wars and having won multiple BAFTA and Emmy awards.
Gary Gibbon
Political editor Gary Gibbon has been working on Channel 4 News since 2005. He covered four general elections and, for instance, he wrote an interview with Peter Mandelson after his resignation from the Cabinet in 2001.
Lindsey Hilsum
Lindsey Hilsum is now the international editor, and she has covered most of the recent major conflicts, from Syria to Ukraine. Hilsum has been part of the Channel 4 News team since 2003.
Siobhan Kennedy
Covering the role of Washington correspondent for Channel 4 News, Siobhan Kennedy has been working for the channel since 2008.
Victoria Macdonald
Victoria Macdonald is the health and social care editor at Channel 4 News. She has been covering social issues for the channel since 1999.
Liam Dutton
Channel 4 News’ first weather presenter is Liam Dutton, who started in the role in 2011.
Andy Davies
2019 TV Journalist of the Year according to the Royal Television Society, Andy Davies has been working as the home affairs correspondent for Channel 4 News since 2006.
Helia Ebrahimi
Helia Ebrahimi is Channel 4 News economics correspondent.
Paraic O’Brien
Paraic O’Brien has been a reporter for the channel since 2012.
Ciaran Jenkins
Ciaran Jenkins started working for the programme in 2012, after specialising in politics and education at the BBC. Jenkins is now the Scotland correspondent for Channel 4 News.
Darshna Soni
Darsha Soni covers the role of home affairs correspondent.
Clare Fallon
North of England correspondent Clare Fallon joined C4 News team in 2018.
Fatima Manji
Fatima Manji is a news correspondent reporting on national and international stories.
Symeon Brown
Symeon Brown is a news correspondent.
Ayshah Tull
Award-winning reporter Ayshah Tull is a news correspondent, having joined the programme in 2019.
Jamal Osma
Jamal Osma has been working at Channel 4 News since 2008 and is today the Africa correspondent for the programme.
Minnie Stephenson
Minnie Stephenson is a reporter, covering mostly domestic and international stories. She joined the programme in 2018.
Guillermo Galdos
Latin America correspondent Guillermo Galdos is based in Lima, Peru. He has been working for the programme since 2006.
Jordan Jarrett-Bryan
Jordan Jarrett-Bryan is a sports reporter, working on the programme since 2012.
Paul McNamara
Working at Channel 4 News since 2015, Paul McNamara is a business and global trade correspondent.
Anja Popp
Anja Popp started out at Channel 4 News as an intern Washington DC correspondent in 2014 and now works as a full-time reporter.
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