Are lawyers killing investigative journalism? Once upon a time investigative journalists had only to fear the physical violence of military men or organised crime. Those dangers remain, but today i...
Richard Lindley
journalist and author
Richard Lindley produced TV commercials before becoming a television journalist at Independent Television News – commercial television’s news supplier in the UK. There he reported from around the world, from Cape Horn to Alaska, from Tristan da Cunha to Kathmandu. He covered wars in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Moving to the BBC’s flagship programme Panorama, first as a reporter and later as presenter, he made current affairs programmes at home and abroad – wherever there was a good and important story to be told. He was the first western television journalist to interview Iraq’s former ruler, Saddam Hussein. After fourteen years on Panorama Richard left the BBC to work as a television regulator at the Independent Broadcasting Authority, where he was responsible for ensuring fairness and impartiality in news and current affairs on commercial television. But he soon returned to reporting and presenting, first for ITV’s This Week programme, and then again at ITN. There he presented the ITN World News and later contributed regular special reports to the News at Ten. Richard was President of The Media Society and has also served as Chairman of the organisation Voice of the Listener & Viewer. He has written two books about the history of television news and current affairs in the UK.