John Witherow
Encyclopedia
John Witherow is a journalist, who is the editor of the Sunday Times
.
He migrated to Britain in the late 1950s and later attended Bedford School
and the University of York
.
In 1971 he went to Namibia
as a volunteer teacher to teach at St Mary's Anglican School in Ovamboland
, but on being refused a permit to enter Ovamboland by the South African government he was asked by Bishop Colin Winter
to remain in Windhoek
to help establish a Diocesan Library and study centre for correspondence students.
He was sent by Reuters
to the Cardiff School of Journalism
, where he gained a Distinction. He worked in Madrid and London for Reuters before joining The Times
as a reporter. He covered the Falklands War
in 1982 and the Iran-Iraq war, before moving to The Sunday Times. There he served in several positions, including Defence Editor, Diplomatic Editor, Foreign Editor and managing Editor of News. Witherow was made acting editor after the departure of Andrew Neil
in 1994 and confirmed in the job the following year. Although he was damaged early in his editorship after publishing false claims that Michael Foot
was a KGB agent, Witherow is now one of the longest-serving editors in Murdoch’s News International
empire, presiding over the expansion of one of his most successful newspapers and reconfirming its reputation for breaking powerful news stories (cash for questions; cash for honours) and developing its three magazines. Witherow is married to Sarah Linton, who is an employment lawyer and a partner with the American law firm Bryan Cave
. He has three children: Sam, Ronald and Anna.
with the British troops involved in the Falklands War
. While on HMS Invicible, working as a Times journalist at the time, he said, "...the atmosphere was quite extraordinary, there were hundreds of thousands of people lining the quay, waving and within the ship there was a curious mood of ebullience and aggression".
The Sunday Times (UK)
The Sunday Times is a Sunday broadsheet newspaper, distributed in the United Kingdom. The Sunday Times is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International, which is in turn owned by News Corporation. Times Newspapers also owns The Times, but the two papers were founded...
.
He migrated to Britain in the late 1950s and later attended Bedford School
Bedford School
Bedford School is not to be confused with Bedford Modern School or Bedford High School or Old Bedford School in Bedford, TexasBedford School is an HMC independent school for boys located in the town of Bedford, England, United Kingdom...
and the University of York
University of York
The University of York , is an academic institution located in the city of York, England. Established in 1963, the campus university has expanded to more than thirty departments and centres, covering a wide range of subjects...
.
In 1971 he went to Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
as a volunteer teacher to teach at St Mary's Anglican School in Ovamboland
Ovamboland
Ovamboland was the name given by English-speaking visitors to the land occupied by the Ovambo people in what is now northern Namibia and southern Angola...
, but on being refused a permit to enter Ovamboland by the South African government he was asked by Bishop Colin Winter
Colin Winter
Colin O'Brien Winter , was an Anglican bishop of Damaraland, a diocese of the Church of the Province of Southern Africa coextensive with the territory of Namibia during the apartheid era.-Early life and career:Born in England in Stoke-on-Trent, Winter was educated at Loughborough College, Oxford...
to remain in Windhoek
Windhoek
Windhoek is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Namibia. It is located in central Namibia in the Khomas Highland plateau area, at around above sea level. The 2001 census determined Windhoek's population was 233,529...
to help establish a Diocesan Library and study centre for correspondence students.
He was sent by Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
to the Cardiff School of Journalism
Cardiff University
Cardiff University is a leading research university located in the Cathays Park area of Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom. It received its Royal charter in 1883 and is a member of the Russell Group of Universities. The university is consistently recognised as providing high quality research-based...
, where he gained a Distinction. He worked in Madrid and London for Reuters before joining The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
as a reporter. He covered the Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
in 1982 and the Iran-Iraq war, before moving to The Sunday Times. There he served in several positions, including Defence Editor, Diplomatic Editor, Foreign Editor and managing Editor of News. Witherow was made acting editor after the departure of Andrew Neil
Andrew Neil
Andrew Ferguson Neil is a Scottish journalist and broadcaster.He currently works for the BBC, presenting the live political programmes The Daily Politics and This Week...
in 1994 and confirmed in the job the following year. Although he was damaged early in his editorship after publishing false claims that Michael Foot
Michael Foot
Michael Mackintosh Foot, FRSL, PC was a British Labour Party politician, journalist and author, who was a Member of Parliament from 1945 to 1955 and from 1960 until 1992...
was a KGB agent, Witherow is now one of the longest-serving editors in Murdoch’s News International
News International
News International Ltd is the United Kingdom newspaper publishing division of News Corporation. Until June 2002, it was called News International plc....
empire, presiding over the expansion of one of his most successful newspapers and reconfirming its reputation for breaking powerful news stories (cash for questions; cash for honours) and developing its three magazines. Witherow is married to Sarah Linton, who is an employment lawyer and a partner with the American law firm Bryan Cave
Bryan Cave
Bryan Cave LLP is an international law firm with twenty-one offices worldwide, headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, USA.- Overview :The international law firm Bryan Cave LLP dates back to 1873 in St. Louis. Founded in 1873 in St. Louis as King, Phillips and Stewart, the firm became Stewart, Bryan,...
. He has three children: Sam, Ronald and Anna.
Falklands War
John Witherow sailed on the HMS InvincibleHMS Invincible (R05)
HMS Invincible was a British light aircraft carrier, the lead ship of three in her class in the Royal Navy. She was launched on 3 May 1977 and is the seventh ship to carry the name. She saw action in the Falklands War when she was deployed with , she took over as flagship of the British fleet when...
with the British troops involved in the Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
. While on HMS Invicible, working as a Times journalist at the time, he said, "...the atmosphere was quite extraordinary, there were hundreds of thousands of people lining the quay, waving and within the ship there was a curious mood of ebullience and aggression".
External links
- "John Witherow" profile as part The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
Media Top 100 of 2003