Keith Wilkinson (reporter)
Encyclopedia
Keith Wilkinson is a British
television
reporter and news correspondent.
Born in Lancashire
, England
, he began his career in newspaper journalism as a trainee reporter at The Westmorland Gazette
in Kendal
, Cumbria
, in 1974. He joined Central Television in the former Associated TeleVision
Broad Street studios in Birmingham
in 1984 as a production journalist, sub-editor, programme producer and bulletin newsreader. Keith Wilkinson is now a senior correspondent, appearing on Central News and Central Tonight
.
Television News Broadcaster of the Year, the ITV
Piece to Camera Gold Award 2004, the Birmingham
Press Club's Scoop of the Year, and Television Journalist of the Year 2008 in the Midlands Media Awards. He received the ITV
Judges' Award in 2008 for what was described as an outstanding contribution to ITV
for his role as a mentor in the training of regional journalists. He was nominated for a Royal Television Society
(Midlands) award in 2010 for a series about the Battle of Arnhem
.
documentary called Stephanie's Story about the kidnapping of estate agent Stephanie Slater by the murderer Michael Sams
. Wilkinson was featured in the book, Beyond Fear, My Will To Survive, in which Stephanie describes being taken back to the workshop in Nottinghamshire
where she was held hostage.
Wilkinson was the first television reporter to interview members of the Bridgewater Four
on camera whilst they were still serving life sentences in prison. The campaigning Daily Mirror and Private Eye
journalist Paul Foot
wrote in the book Murder at the Farm that Wilkinson's "persistence in this case contrasted sharply with the abject acceptance of the authorised view by almost all his journalist colleagues in the Midlands".
In 2003 Wilkinson was calling for greater media access to the British judicial system. In an article in The Guardian
he described the principle of open justice as a joke.
Wilkinson has also become known for more light-hearted items. In 2006 he was photographed in the Daily Star having a bucket of water poured over his head by Chris Tarrant
, star of ITV
's Who Wants to be a Millionaire?
This was a tribute to Tarrant's days on the Tiswas
programme when he frequently covered people in water.
Keith Wilkinson was featured as The Human Guinea Pig in a six-month experiment starting in March 2008 on Central Tonight
and itvlocal.com. It was launched in conjunction with researchers at the University of Birmingham
in England
as part of a project about physical fitness
in the over-50s. By July, Ironman
triathlete Asker Jeukendrup
, Professor of Exercise Metabolism and head of the university's Human Performance Laboratory, told ITV
that Wilkinson's rate of progress had been "unusual and spectacular". At the end of the project in September, Jeukendrup gave Wilkinson a VO2 max fitness assessment as a high 52.3.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
reporter and news correspondent.
Born in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, he began his career in newspaper journalism as a trainee reporter at The Westmorland Gazette
The Westmorland Gazette
The Westmorland Gazette is a weekly newspaper published in Kendal, Cumbria, England. It covers "South Lakeland and surrounding areas" and derives its name from the historic county of Westmorland....
in Kendal
Kendal
Kendal, anciently known as Kirkby in Kendal or Kirkby Kendal, is a market town and civil parish within the South Lakeland District of Cumbria, England...
, Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
, in 1974. He joined Central Television in the former Associated TeleVision
Associated TeleVision
Associated Television, often referred to as ATV, was a British television company, holder of various licences to broadcast on the ITV network from 24 September 1955 until 00:34 on 1 January 1982...
Broad Street studios in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
in 1984 as a production journalist, sub-editor, programme producer and bulletin newsreader. Keith Wilkinson is now a senior correspondent, appearing on Central News and Central Tonight
Central Tonight
Central Tonight is a regional television news and current affairs programme, produced by ITV Central, serving the English Midlands.-History:...
.
Broadcasting Awards
Keith Wilkinson has won numerous awards for broadcasting, including the national BTBT Group
BT Group plc is a global telecommunications services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is one of the largest telecommunications services companies in the world and has operations in more than 170 countries. Through its BT Global Services division it is a major supplier of...
Television News Broadcaster of the Year, the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
Piece to Camera Gold Award 2004, the Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
Press Club's Scoop of the Year, and Television Journalist of the Year 2008 in the Midlands Media Awards. He received the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
Judges' Award in 2008 for what was described as an outstanding contribution to ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
for his role as a mentor in the training of regional journalists. He was nominated for a Royal Television Society
Royal Television Society
The Royal Television Society is a British-based educational charity for the discussion, and analysis of television in all its forms, past, present and future. It is the oldest television society in the world...
(Midlands) award in 2010 for a series about the Battle of Arnhem
Battle of Arnhem
The Battle of Arnhem was a famous Second World War military engagement fought in and around the Dutch towns of Arnhem, Oosterbeek, Wolfheze, Driel and the surrounding countryside from 17–26 September 1944....
.
Career at ITV
In 1993 when he was Central's investigative Crime Reporter, he produced an ITVITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
documentary called Stephanie's Story about the kidnapping of estate agent Stephanie Slater by the murderer Michael Sams
Michael Sams
Michael Sams is an English rapist, kidnapper, extortionist and murderer who kidnapped Julie Dart on 9 July 1991 and Stephanie Slater on 22 January 1992....
. Wilkinson was featured in the book, Beyond Fear, My Will To Survive, in which Stephanie describes being taken back to the workshop in Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
where she was held hostage.
Wilkinson was the first television reporter to interview members of the Bridgewater Four
Bridgewater Four
The Bridgewater Four was the collective name given to the quartet of men who were tried and found guilty of killing 13 year old paperboy Carl Bridgewater, who was shot in the head at close range. After 18 years their convictions were overturned...
on camera whilst they were still serving life sentences in prison. The campaigning Daily Mirror and Private Eye
Private Eye
Private Eye is a fortnightly British satirical and current affairs magazine, edited by Ian Hislop.Since its first publication in 1961, Private Eye has been a prominent critic and lampooner of public figures and entities that it deemed guilty of any of the sins of incompetence, inefficiency,...
journalist Paul Foot
Paul Foot
Paul Mackintosh Foot was a British investigative journalist, political campaigner, author, and long-time member of the Socialist Workers Party...
wrote in the book Murder at the Farm that Wilkinson's "persistence in this case contrasted sharply with the abject acceptance of the authorised view by almost all his journalist colleagues in the Midlands".
In 2003 Wilkinson was calling for greater media access to the British judicial system. In an article in The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
he described the principle of open justice as a joke.
Wilkinson has also become known for more light-hearted items. In 2006 he was photographed in the Daily Star having a bucket of water poured over his head by Chris Tarrant
Chris Tarrant
Christopher John "Chris" Tarrant, OBE is an English radio and television broadcaster, now best known for hosting the first version of the television game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? in the United Kingdom and later Ireland, as the two national versions of the show merged in 2002.Chris...
, star of ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
's Who Wants to be a Millionaire?
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? is a television game show which offers large cash prizes for correctly answering a series of multiple-choice questions of increasing difficulty. The format is owned and licensed by Sony Pictures Television International. The maximum cash prize is one million pounds...
This was a tribute to Tarrant's days on the Tiswas
Tiswas
Tiswas was a Saturday morning children's British television series which ran from 5 January 1974 to 3 April 1982 and was produced for the ITV network by ATV Network Limited....
programme when he frequently covered people in water.
Keith Wilkinson was featured as The Human Guinea Pig in a six-month experiment starting in March 2008 on Central Tonight
Central Tonight
Central Tonight is a regional television news and current affairs programme, produced by ITV Central, serving the English Midlands.-History:...
and itvlocal.com. It was launched in conjunction with researchers at the University of Birmingham
University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
as part of a project about physical fitness
Physical fitness
Physical fitness comprises two related concepts: general fitness , and specific fitness...
in the over-50s. By July, Ironman
Ironman Triathlon
An Ironman Triathlon is one of a series of long-distance triathlon races organized by the World Triathlon Corporation consisting of a swim, a bike and a marathon run, raced in that order and without a break...
triathlete Asker Jeukendrup
Asker Jeukendrup
Asker Jeukendrup is a sports nutrition scientist and an Ironman triathlete.- Academic career :Following an MSc in Human Movement Sciences at Maastricht University in the Netherlands he completed his PhD in 1997 at the same university studying aspects of carbohydrate and fat metabolism during...
, Professor of Exercise Metabolism and head of the university's Human Performance Laboratory, told ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
that Wilkinson's rate of progress had been "unusual and spectacular". At the end of the project in September, Jeukendrup gave Wilkinson a VO2 max fitness assessment as a high 52.3.