Mike Donkin
Encyclopedia
Michael Charles Donkin was an English
reporter and journalist
for BBC News
.
Donkin was born in Southend-on-Sea
, Essex
in 1951. He went to school at the Northern Grammar School for Boys, in North End, Portsmouth
. He landed his first job with the East Anglian Daily Times
in Ipswich
. In 1975, he joined the BBC
as a freelancer
. Shortly after he joined The Today Programme on BBC Radio 4
, he was praised for good work and quickly progressed to television. He worked on both the 6 O'clock and 10 O'clock news as a world affairs correspondent. During his time with the BBC, Donkin made several short 5 to 6 minute films. He was most pleased with the film about a bed and breakfast farm. One year after Donkin started with the BBC, he married his wife Catriona. They had three daughters and one son together.
Donkin had a short battle with cancer
. On 6 December 2007 he died from the illness.
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...
reporter and journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
for BBC News
BBC News
BBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
.
Donkin was born in Southend-on-Sea
Southend-on-Sea
Southend-on-Sea is a unitary authority area, town, and seaside resort in Essex, England. The district has Borough status, and comprises the towns of Chalkwell, Eastwood, Leigh-on-Sea, North Shoebury, Prittlewell, Shoeburyness, Southchurch, Thorpe Bay, and Westcliff-on-Sea. The district is situated...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
in 1951. He went to school at the Northern Grammar School for Boys, in North End, Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
. He landed his first job with the East Anglian Daily Times
East Anglian Daily Times
The East Anglian Daily Times is a British local newspaper for Suffolk and Essex, based in Ipswich.It started publication on 13 October 1874, incorporating the Ipswich Express, which had been published since 13 August 1839...
in Ipswich
Ipswich
Ipswich is a large town and a non-metropolitan district. It is the county town of Suffolk, England. Ipswich is located on the estuary of the River Orwell...
. In 1975, he joined the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
as a freelancer
Freelancer
A freelancer, freelance worker, or freelance is somebody who is self-employed and is not committed to a particular employer long term. These workers are often represented by a company or an agency that resells their labor and that of others to its clients with or without project management and...
. Shortly after he joined The Today Programme on BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
, he was praised for good work and quickly progressed to television. He worked on both the 6 O'clock and 10 O'clock news as a world affairs correspondent. During his time with the BBC, Donkin made several short 5 to 6 minute films. He was most pleased with the film about a bed and breakfast farm. One year after Donkin started with the BBC, he married his wife Catriona. They had three daughters and one son together.
Donkin had a short battle with cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
. On 6 December 2007 he died from the illness.