David Shukman

David Shukman
Born
David Roderick Shukman

(1958-05-30) 30 May 1958 (age 66)
St Pancras, London, England
EducationDragon School
Eton College
Alma materDurham University
OccupationJournalist
Employer(s)BBC
Coventry Evening Telegraph (1980–1983)
TitleScience Editor of BBC News (2012–2021)
Spouse
Jessica Pryce-Jones
(m. 1988)
Children3
Parents
RelativesHenry Shukman (brother)
David Pryce-Jones (father-in-law)
Websitewww.davidshukman.com

David Roderick Shukman (born 30 May 1958) is a British journalist, and the former science editor of BBC News.

Early life

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Shukman was born in 1958 in St Pancras, London. He is of Jewish ancestry – his grandfather, whom he is named after, was part of the Jewish community who lived in Baranow, Congress Poland which was then part of the Russian Empire, before emigrating and settling in the United Kingdom.[1] His father was Harold Shukman, a Russian scholar at St Antony's College, Oxford;[2] his mother was Ann King-Farlow, also a Russian scholar, of writers such as Alexander Men (a Russian theologian). His brother Henry Shukman is a meditation teacher and co-founder of The Way.[3]

Shukman attended the Dragon School and Eton College, then earned a bachelor's degree in geography at Durham University in 1980.[4][5] and was a member of Hatfield College.[6]

Career

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Shukman worked at the Coventry Evening Telegraph from 1980 to 1983 when he joined the BBC.[4] He was a Northern Ireland reporter from 1985 to 1987, then the Defence Correspondent (TV) from 1987 to 1995.[4] From then until 1999 he was the European Correspondent, and broadening his coverage in 1999, he became the World Affairs Correspondent until 2003, when he became Environment and Science correspondent.[4]

In January 2012 Shukman was appointed as the BBC's first science editor. Shukman said: "It's a privilege to be given this new role as part of the BBC's drive to enhance its science coverage. The science story has never been so compelling and I'm delighted to be given this opportunity to lead our reporting and analysis of it."[7]

Personal life

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In 1998, Shukman married Jessica Pryce-Jones, an author and executive coach.[8][9] They have three children.[8] He is a member of the Frontline Club.[4]

Bibliography

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  • Brown, Ben and Shukman, David, All Necessary Means : Inside the Gulf War, 1994
  • Shukman, David, The Sorcerer's Challenge: Fears and Hopes for the Weapons of the Next Millennium, 1996
  • Shukman, David, Tomorrow's War: The Threat of High-Technology Weapons, 1996
  • Shukman, David, Reporting Live from the End of the Word. Profile Books, 2010.
  • Shukman, David, Reporting Live from the End of the World , 2011
  • Shukman, David, An Iceberg As Big As Manhattan, 2011

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Shukman, David (16 June 2012). "A Polish village's forgotten Jewish dead". British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
  2. ^ "Harold Shukman". The Daily Telegraph. London. 25 September 2012.
  3. ^ "Zen Teacher, Author, Poet". Henry Shukman. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d e Shukman, David Roderick, (born 30 May 1958), Science Editor, BBC News. UK Who's Who. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U2000161. ISBN 978-0-19-954088-4. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  5. ^ "Durham University gazette, XXV (ns) no. 2 including supplement". Durham University Gazette. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  6. ^ "Hatfield College : Alumni". Durham University. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  7. ^ Plunkett, John (16 January 2012). "BBC names David Shukman as first science editor". The Guardian. London.
  8. ^ a b "Shukman, David Roderick". Who's Who. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U2000161.
  9. ^ "How to be a good (cancer) patient". The Times. 30 December 2017. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
Media offices
Preceded by
Position created
Science Editor: BBC News
2012–2021
Incumbent