Ken Johnston (born 1952 in

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

) is a journalist/broadcaster with wide media and military experience having worked throughout

The Troubles The Troubles ( ga, Na Trioblóidí) were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it is sometimes described as an "i ...

in Northern Ireland and also handling media issues for UK military operations around the world. His career started with Project, an industrial periodical produced by the former Morton Newspaper Group before moving to Armagh as a reporter with the local weekly paper, the ''Armagh Guardian''. This was at the beginning of The Troubles and after two years he moved to take the reins as Editor of the ''Carrickfergus Advertiser'' and ''East Antrim Gazette'' before joining

Thomson Newspapers The Thomson Corporation was one of the world's largest information companies. It was established in 1989 following a merger between International Thomson Organisation Ltd (ITOL) and Thomson Newspapers. In 2008, it purchased Reuters Group to form ...

on the ''East Antrim Times'' and later the ''Belfast Telegraph''. In 1980 he moved into broadcasting with Independent Radio in Northern Ireland before joining the Ministry of Defence and setting up the first Mobile News Team which was to oversee the transitional period of military involvement in Operation Banner. Moving to Whitehall to join the Royal Navy team he became Senior Information Officer before being appointed to HQ Army in Salisbury. It was in 2000 he was appointed Deputy Head of Media Operations at the UK's Permanent Joint Headquarters which provided operational direction for all UK military operations overseas. As well as vast journalistic experience of Northern Ireland he has also been engaged on operations, exercises and training around the world. He reported widely during 'the troubles' in Northern Ireland as a reporter with ''

The Belfast Telegraph The ''Belfast Telegraph'' is a daily newspaper published in Belfast, Northern Ireland, by Independent News & Media. Its editor is Eoin Brannigan. Reflecting its unionist tradition, the paper has historically been "favoured by the Protestant pop ...

'' and later as broadcaster with

Downtown Radio Downtown Radio is a Hot Adult Contemporary music radio station based in Newtownards, County Down, that serves all of Northern Ireland using a network of AM, FM and DAB transmitters. As of December 2022, the station has a weekly audience of ...

and contributor to broadcast stations around the world. On retirement, he became a Committee member of Reserve Forces and Cadets Association and also runs Regional News Features – providing guidance to young people and industry on communications techniques He was asked out of retirement to spend a year anchoring communications for the British Army in Scotland - a busy year as HQ 51 Brigade underwent reorganization and a year when it was lead for the Army in the annual Edinburgh Tattoo and leading In Scotland with the death of HM Queen Elizabeth 11 and Coronation of King Charles 111

References

1952 births Living people British reporters and correspondents Belfast Telegraph people 20th-century journalists from Northern Ireland 21st-century journalists from Northern Ireland {{UK-journalist-stub