Sheena McDonald
Encyclopedia
Sheena Elizabeth McDonald (born 25 July 1954, Dunfermline
, Fife
, Scotland
) is a British
journalist
and broadcaster
.
in 1976 before gaining a postgraduate certificate in radio, film and television studies from the University of Bristol
. Whilst at university in Edinburgh, she had a relationship with then-Rector Gordon Brown
. She also co-founded the Edinburgh Festival Fringe newspaper Festival News with Garfield Kennedy
.
. She switched to television in 1981 as a presenter and newsreader at STV, then went freelance in 1986, moving on to anchor
such national radio and television news programmes as The World at One
, Channel 4 News
, The World This Week, After Dark and International Question Time and, in 1995, she received the first-ever 'Woman in Film and Television' Award.
call in Clerkenwell
, London
. She sustained massive head injuries, and it was almost five years before she returned to broadcasting, notably in a biographical documentary in which she spoke of her recuperation process and coming to terms with the psychological effects of her injury.
for five years before the accident, the couple subsequently married in 2006.
Dunfermline
Dunfermline is a town and former Royal Burgh in Fife, Scotland, on high ground from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. According to a 2008 estimate, Dunfermline has a population of 46,430, making it the second-biggest settlement in Fife. Part of the town's name comes from the Gaelic word...
, Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
) is a British
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...
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...
and broadcaster
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
.
Education
She graduated from the University of EdinburghUniversity of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
in 1976 before gaining a postgraduate certificate in radio, film and television studies from the University of Bristol
University of Bristol
The University of Bristol is a public research university located in Bristol, United Kingdom. One of the so-called "red brick" universities, it received its Royal Charter in 1909, although its predecessor institution, University College, Bristol, had been in existence since 1876.The University is...
. Whilst at university in Edinburgh, she had a relationship with then-Rector Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
. She also co-founded the Edinburgh Festival Fringe newspaper Festival News with Garfield Kennedy
Garfield Kennedy
Garfield Kennedy is a documentary and fiction film-maker and producer based in Somerset, England. He was elected as a Liberal Democrat District Councillor for the Shepton West Ward of Mendip District Council in a in July 2010....
.
Broadcasting
In 1978 she began her professional broadcasting career as a producer and presenter at BBC Radio ScotlandBBC Radio Scotland
BBC Radio Scotland is BBC Scotland's national English-language radio network. It broadcasts a wide variety of programming, including news, sport, light entertainment, music, the arts, comedy, drama, history and lifestyle...
. She switched to television in 1981 as a presenter and newsreader at STV, then went freelance in 1986, moving on to anchor
News presenter
A news presenter is a person who presents news during a news program in the format of a television show, on the radio or the Internet.News presenters can work in a radio studio, television studio and from remote broadcasts in the field especially weather...
such national radio and television news programmes as The World at One
The World At One
The World at One, or WATO for short, is BBC Radio 4's long-running lunchtime news and current affairs programme, which is broadcast from 1pm to 1:30pm from Monday to Friday. The programme describes itself as "Britain's leading political programme. With a reputation for rigorous and original...
, Channel 4 News
Channel 4 News
Channel 4 News is the news division of British television broadcaster Channel 4. It is produced by ITN, and has been in operation since the broadcaster's launch in 1982.-Channel 4 News:...
, The World This Week, After Dark and International Question Time and, in 1995, she received the first-ever 'Woman in Film and Television' Award.
Television
- Right to ReplyRight to ReplyRight to Reply was a British television series shown on Channel 4 from 1982 until 2001, which allowed viewers to voice their complaints or concerns about TV programmes...
(1982-2001) - Scotland TodayScotland TodayScotland Today was a Scottish regional news programme covering Central Scotland, produced by STV Central . Despite its name suggesting a national remit, the programme was actually limited to stories around STV's Central Belt franchise...
(1984–1987) - Channel 4 newsChannel 4 NewsChannel 4 News is the news division of British television broadcaster Channel 4. It is produced by ITN, and has been in operation since the broadcaster's launch in 1982.-Channel 4 News:...
- Votes for woman (1988) 14 episodes
- The World This Week (1989)
- Scottish Women (1989–1992)
- Fighting Talk, (1991)
- House to House (1995)
Accident
In February 1999 she was struck by a police van on its way to a 999999 (emergency telephone number)
999 is an official emergency telephone number in a number of countries which allows the caller to contact emergency services for urgent assistance....
call in Clerkenwell
Clerkenwell
Clerkenwell is an area of central London in the London Borough of Islington. From 1900 to 1965 it was part of the Metropolitan Borough of Finsbury. The well after which it was named was rediscovered in 1924. The watchmaking and watch repairing trades were once of great importance...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. She sustained massive head injuries, and it was almost five years before she returned to broadcasting, notably in a biographical documentary in which she spoke of her recuperation process and coming to terms with the psychological effects of her injury.
Relationships
In a relationship with BBC journalist Allan LittleAllan Little
Allan Little is a Special correspondent with the BBC.He graduated from Edinburgh University, where he read History and Politics. Little then joined BBC Scotland in 1983 as a news and current affairs researcher, following which he transferred to London in 1985 to train as a radio reporter...
for five years before the accident, the couple subsequently married in 2006.
Current work
She currently presents an education-focused news programme for the cable channel Teachers' TV.External links
- Sheena McDonald in the BFIBritish Film InstituteThe British Film Institute is a charitable organisation established by Royal Charter to:-Cinemas:The BFI runs the BFI Southbank and IMAX theatre, both located on the south bank of the River Thames in London...
database