''Dateline London'' is a weekly
BBC News
BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadca ...
discussion
Conversation is interactive communication between two or more people. The development of conversational skills and etiquette is an important part of socialization. The development of conversational skills in a new language is a frequent focus ...
programme. A
panel
Panel may refer to:
Arts and media Visual arts
* Panel (comics), a single image in a comic book, comic strip or cartoon; also, a comic strip containing one such image
*Panel painting, in art, either one element of a multi-element piece of art ...
of four leading
journalist
A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism ...
s,
lecturer
Lecturer is an List of academic ranks, academic rank within many universities, though the meaning of the term varies somewhat from country to country. It generally denotes an academic expert who is hired to teach on a full- or part-time basis. T ...
s, and
foreign correspondents discussed top news stories from an international perspective. The last episode made was on the 15th October 2022.
Production
Prior to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
, ''Dateline London'' was recorded live on Saturday at 11.30am on the
BBC News Channel
BBC News (also known as the BBC News Channel) is a British free-to-air public broadcast television news channel for BBC News. It was launched as BBC News 24 on 9 November 1997 at 5:30 pm as part of the BBC's foray into digital domestic telev ...
and
BBC World News
BBC World News is an international English-language pay television network, operated under the ''BBC Global News Limited'' division of the BBC, which is a public corporation of the UK government's Department for Digital, Culture, Media and S ...
. It always featured four guests in a round-table discussion of the weeks' main stories.
When the pandemic curtailed all in-person activities, only three guests participated in the programme. Two foreign correspondents from other news agencies or papers joined the programme virtually, with an in-studio guest usually being a relevant BBC correspondent with previous background to the stories being covered. In mid-2022, the virtual guests were stopped as they were accommodated in the studio, and on occasion a BBC correspondent would participate. Additionally, the programme moved to being recorded live every Friday at 7:30 p.m, with repeats continuing as normal over the weekend. If significant news stories occurred during the day, the programme was able to be recorded earlier or later on the Friday.
In mid-2022, at the same time as axing virtual guests, the BBC announced its decision to axe the programme later that year. The final episode was broadcast on 15 October 2022.
Hosts
''Dateline London'' was first hosted by
Charles Wheeler, and subsequently by
Gavin Esler
Gavin William James Esler (born 27 February 1953) is a Scottish journalist, television presenter and author. He was a main presenter on BBC Two's flagship political analysis programme, ''Newsnight'', from January 2003 until January 2014, and pr ...
.
Shaun Ley
Shaun Dominic Ley (born 14 June 1969) is a British journalist and newsreader for BBC News. A former regular presenter of ''The World This Weekend'' and ''The World at One'' on BBC Radio 4, he currently appears regularly on the BBC's domestic BBC ...
and
Maxine Mawhinney
Maxine Mawhinney (born 18 September 1957) is a former newsreader on BBC News, the BBC's 24-hour rolling news channel.
Biography
Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Mawhinney was educated at Regent House School, Newtownards. She trained as a n ...
served as stand-in hosts during Esler's tenure.
Esler hosted his final edition on 25 March 2017, and Mawhinney on 8 April 2017. Since 15 April 2017, ''Dateline London'' was hosted on
rotation
Rotation, or spin, is the circular movement of an object around a '' central axis''. A two-dimensional rotating object has only one possible central axis and can rotate in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. A three-dimensional ...
by
Jane Hill
Jane Amanda Hill (born 10 June 1969 in Eastbourne, Sussex) is an English newsreader working for the BBC. She is one of the main presenters for BBC News, and is the main presenter on the '' BBC News at One'' and the '' BBC News at Five'', as w ...
or
Shaun Ley
Shaun Dominic Ley (born 14 June 1969) is a British journalist and newsreader for BBC News. A former regular presenter of ''The World This Weekend'' and ''The World at One'' on BBC Radio 4, he currently appears regularly on the BBC's domestic BBC ...
, while
Carrie Gracie
Carrie Gracie (born 1962)Ben Dowel"Carrie Gracie profile: Award-winning journalist with years at World Service" theguardian.com, 12 May 2009 is a Scottish journalist and newsreader best known as having been China Editor for BBC News.
She resign ...
and
Tim Willcox
Timothy Melton Willcox (born 28 May 1963 in Wellington, Somerset) is a British journalist for BBC News. He presents news programmes on BBC World News and the BBC News Channel. He is probably most recognisable for presenting the BBC's live cover ...
provided occasional cover.
Carrie Gracie had presented ''Dateline London'' following her return from paid leave in mid-2018. After 33 years with the BBC, Carrie Gracie left in August 2020. Since then, either Shaun Ley or Geeta Guru-Murthy has presented the programme. On 21 May 2021,
Martine Croxall
Martine Sarah Croxall (born 23 February 1969) is a British television journalist. She is one of the main news presenters on BBC News (TV channel), BBC News.
Education
Martine Sarah Croxall was born on 23 February 1969 and grew up in Stoke Go ...
presented ''Dateline London'' for the first time.
As of October 2021, Shaun Ley was the main presenter of Dateline London. Other presenters occasionally seen hosting the show are
Martine Croxall
Martine Sarah Croxall (born 23 February 1969) is a British television journalist. She is one of the main news presenters on BBC News (TV channel), BBC News.
Education
Martine Sarah Croxall was born on 23 February 1969 and grew up in Stoke Go ...
,
Ben Brown and
Geeta Guru-Murthy
Geeta Guru-Murthy is a British television journalist. Since 2013 she has presented mainly morning bulletins, including ''BBC News at Nine'', and bulletins on BBC World News, BBC Two, BBC News Channel and BBC World News.
Early life
Guru-Murthy ...
.
Regular panelists
*
Lyse Doucet
Lyse Marie Doucet , (; born 24 December 1958) is a Canadian journalist who is the BBC's Chief International Correspondent and senior presenter. She presents on BBC World Service radio and BBC World News television, and also reports for BBC ...
chief international correspondent and presenter
BBC News
BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadca ...
*
David Aaronovitch
David Morris Aaronovitch (born 8 July 1954) is an English journalist, television presenter and author. He is a regular columnist for ''The Times'' and the author of ''Paddling to Jerusalem: An Aquatic Tour of Our Small Country'' (2000), ''Voodoo ...
is an ''
Orwell Prize
The Orwell Prize, based at University College London, is a British prize for political writing. The Prize is awarded by The Orwell Foundation, an independent charity (Registered Charity No 1161563, formerly "The Orwell Prize") governed by a boa ...
'' winning journalist
*
Yasmin Alibhai-Brown
Yasmin Alibhai-Brown (''née'' Damji; born 10 December 1949) is a British journalist and author, who describes herself as "a leftie liberal, anti-racist, feminist, Muslim...person". A regular columnist for the ''i '' newspaper and the ''Eveni ...
is an ''
Orwell Prize
The Orwell Prize, based at University College London, is a British prize for political writing. The Prize is awarded by The Orwell Foundation, an independent charity (Registered Charity No 1161563, formerly "The Orwell Prize") governed by a boa ...
'' winning journalist
*
Mina Al-Oraibi
Mina may refer to:
Places Iran
* Minaq, East Azerbaijan
* Mina, Fars
* Mineh, Lorestan Province
* Mina, Razavi Khorasan
* Mehneh, Razavi Khorasan Province
United States
* Mina, California
* Mina, Nevada
* Mina, New York
* Mina, Ohio
* M ...
is editor-in-chief at ''
The National''
*
Abdel Bari Atwan of ''Rai-al-Youm''
*
Stephanie Baker of ''
Bloomberg Bloomberg may refer to:
People
* Daniel J. Bloomberg (1905–1984), audio engineer
* Georgina Bloomberg (born 1983), professional equestrian
* Michael Bloomberg (born 1942), American businessman and founder of Bloomberg L.P.; politician and m ...
''
*
Stefanie Bolzen of ''
Die Welt
''Die Welt'' ("The World") is a German national daily newspaper, published as a broadsheet by Axel Springer SE.
''Die Welt'' is the flagship newspaper of the Axel Springer publishing group. Its leading competitors are the ''Frankfurter Allg ...
''
*
Henry Chu of ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
''
*
Janet Daley
Janet Daley (born 21 March 1944) is an American-born conservative journalist living and working in Britain. She is currently a columnist for ''The Sunday Telegraph''.
Life and career
Daley studied philosophy at the University of California a ...
of ''
The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally.
It was fo ...
''
*
Alex Deane is a political commentator
*
John Fisher Burns
John Fisher Burns (born 4 October 1944) is a British journalist, and the winner of two Pulitzer Prizes. He was the London bureau chief for ''The New York Times'', where he covered international issues until March 2015. Burns also frequently ...
is a ''
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made h ...
'' winning journalist
*
Eunice Goes is a Portuguese writer and lecturer
*
Michael Goldfarb is a journalist and author
*
Johan Hari is a journalist
*
Owen Jones
Owen Jones (born 8 August 1984) is a British newspaper columnist, political commentator, journalist, author, and left-wing activist. He writes a column for ''The Guardian'' and contributes to the ''New Statesman'' and '' Tribune.'' He has two ...
is a journalist, author, and commentator
*
Mustapha Karkouti
Mustapha Karkouti (October 3, 1943 – July 16, 2020) was a Syrian freelance journalist and media consultant, residing in London since the early 1970s.
Personal and career background
He was born in Latakia in northern Syria. He started as an ag ...
is a freelance journalist
*
Gregory Katz of
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
*
Thomas Kielinger
Thomas Kielinger (born July 1940 in Danzig) is a German journalist, political commentator and author, who for a long time used to be London correspondent for ''Die Welt''.
Biography
Kielinger was born in 1940 in Danzig (modern day Gdańsk in ...
is a ''
Theodor Wolff Prize
The Theodor Wolff Prize is a German journalism prize. It has been awarded annually since 1962 in five categories, equal prizes of €6,000, by the . In addition, at irregular intervals, journalists are awarded the Theodor Wolff Prize for their life ...
'' winning journalist and the London correspondent for
Die Welt
''Die Welt'' ("The World") is a German national daily newspaper, published as a broadsheet by Axel Springer SE.
''Die Welt'' is the flagship newspaper of the Axel Springer publishing group. Its leading competitors are the ''Frankfurter Allg ...
*
Jeffrey Kofman is an ''
Emmy Award
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
'' winning journalist and lecturer
*
Laura Lynch is a Canadian writer and broadcaster
*
Suzanne Lynch of ''
The Irish Times
''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is considered a newspaper ...
''
*
Vincent Magombe is a journalist and analyst
*
Nesrine Malik
Nesrine Malik is a Sudanese-born journalist and author of '' We Need New Stories: Challenging the Toxic Myths Behind Our Age of Discontent''. Based in London, Malik is a columnist for ''The Guardian'' and serves as a panellist on the BBC's weekly ...
is a Sudanese writer
*
Maria Margaronis
Maria Margaronis (born 1958 in Marylebone, London) is a British journalist of Greek descent.
Margaronis has written from ''The Nation''’s London bureau, the other half of which was her husband D. D. Guttenplan, now ''The Nation''s editor. A for ...
of ''
The Nation
''The Nation'' is an American liberal biweekly magazine that covers political and cultural news, opinion, and analysis. It was founded on July 6, 1865, as a successor to William Lloyd Garrison's '' The Liberator'', an abolitionist newspaper tha ...
''
*
Iain Martin
Iain James Martin (born 2 October 1971) is a Scottish political commentator, author and public speaker. He writes a weekly column for ''The Times'' and is co-founder, editor and publisher of ''Reaction'' - a news site providing analysis and opi ...
is a journalist and author
*
Jef McAllister
J.F.O. 'Jef' McAllister (born February 13, 1956) is an American journalist, author and lawyer. Formerly the London Bureau Chief of TIME Magazine, he is currently the Managing Partner of McAllister Olivarius, an international law firm headquarte ...
is a journalist and lawyer
*
Stryker McGuire of ''
Bloomberg Bloomberg may refer to:
People
* Daniel J. Bloomberg (1905–1984), audio engineer
* Georgina Bloomberg (born 1983), professional equestrian
* Michael Bloomberg (born 1942), American businessman and founder of Bloomberg L.P.; politician and m ...
''
*
Alexander Nekrassov is a Russian journalist
*
Brian O'Connell is a journalist and communications advisor
*
Annalisa Piras
Annalisa Piras is a London-based Italian-British film director, impact producer and journalist. She is currently the director of Springshot Productions, an independent production company which specialises in hard hitting, current affairs document ...
is an Italian writer and film maker
*
Agnès Poirier is a journalist, writer, and broadcaster
*
Nabila Ramdani
Nabila Ramdani is a French freelance journalist of Algerian descent who specialises in Anglo-French issues, Islamic affairs, and the Arab world.
Life and work
Ramdani has an MPhil in International History from the London School of Economics with ...
is a journalist, writer, and broadcaster
*
Steve Richards
Steve Richards (born 6 June 1960) is a British TV presenter and political columnist, who has written columns for the ''Guardian'', ''Independent'', ''New Statesman'' and '' Spectator''. He regularly presents Radio 4's '' Week in Westminster'' and ...
is a political writer and broadcaster
*
Marc Roche of ''
Le Monde
''Le Monde'' (; ) is a French daily afternoon newspaper. It is the main publication of Le Monde Group and reported an average circulation of 323,039 copies per issue in 2009, about 40,000 of which were sold abroad. It has had its own website si ...
''
*
Jonathan Sacerdoti is a journalist, political commentator and foreign correspondent
*
Shahed Sadullah is the former editor of the Pakistani daily The News in London
*
Rachel Shabi
Rachel () was a Biblical figure, the favorite of Jacob's two wives, and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin, two of the twelve progenitors of the tribes of Israel. Rachel's father was Laban. Her older sister was Leah, Jacob's first wife. Her a ...
is a journalist and author
*
Ned Temko
Edward James Temko (born November 1952) is an American journalist and newspaper editor who has worked much of his life in London in the United Kingdom. He has also been based in cities such as Lisbon, Brussels, Beirut, Moscow, Jerusalem, and Johann ...
is a political commentator
*
Polly Toynbee
Mary Louisa "Polly" Toynbee (; born 27 December 1946) is a British journalist and writer. She has been a columnist for ''The Guardian'' newspaper since 1998.
She is a social democrat and was a candidate for the Social Democratic Party in the 19 ...
is an ''
Orwell Prize
The Orwell Prize, based at University College London, is a British prize for political writing. The Prize is awarded by The Orwell Foundation, an independent charity (Registered Charity No 1161563, formerly "The Orwell Prize") governed by a boa ...
'' winning journalist at ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
''
*
Isabel Hilton
Isabel Nancy Hilton OBE (born 25 November 1949) is a Scottish journalist and broadcaster based in London.
Early life
Hilton was educated at Edinburgh University, where she studied Chinese to post-graduate level. As Secretary of the entir ...
, editor of
Chinadialogue
China Dialogue () is an independent, non-profit organisation based in London and Beijing. It was launched on July 3, 2006. China Dialogue is funded by a range of institutional supporters, including several major charitable foundations.
It focuses ...
*
Nazenin Ansari
Nazenin Ansari ( fa, نازنین انصاری) is an Iranian journalist, managing editor of '' Kayhan London'' ( fa, کیهان لندن), a weekly Persian-language newspaper critical of the current government of Iran (not to be confused with the ...
, Iranian exile journalist
*
Clive Myrie
Clive Myrie (born 25 August 1964) is a British journalist, newsreader and presenter who works for the BBC. Since August 2021 he has been the host of the long-running BBC quiz shows ''Mastermind'' and ''Celebrity Mastermind''.
Early life
Myrie ...
, BBC News Presenter and foreign correspondent
* Celia Hatton, BBC News Asia Editor and presenter
References
{{BBC News
1996 British television series debuts
2022 British television series endings
2000s British television series
2010s British television series
2020s British television series
BBC television news shows
BBC World News shows