Simon Cumbers
Encyclopedia
Simon Peter Cumbers was an Irish
-born freelance journalist working for the BBC
who was murder
ed by apparent Al Qaeda sympathisers while filming one of the terrorist group's safehouse in Saudi Arabia
.
in Navan
, County Meath
. An editor of a school magazine,
Tuarim, and a local radio broadcaster with pirate radio station Royal County Radio.
While at St. Patrick's, Simon worked initially with the Drogheda Independent
and the Ipswich Evening Star, as a features writer, before becoming the Chief Reporter of Dublin's Capitol Radio (now called FM104
).
In 1990 Cumbers moved to the United Kingdom
to work with a variety of British broadcasters, including Sky News
, ITN, APTN
, and the BBC
. Cumbers worked both as a journalist and a producer. In the late 1990s he retrained and became a cameraman as well, establishing Locum Productions, to supply cameramen to broadcasters, together with his wife, BBC journalist Louise Bevan.
Cumbers and BBC correspondent Frank Gardner
were filming an Al Qaeda safehouse in Al-Suwaidi
, Riyadh
, Saudi Arabia when they were attacked. Gardner was critically wounded while Cumbers died instantly from a gunshot wound to the head. He was 36.
The Simon Cumbers Media Fund is administered by DHR Communications and is funded by Irish Aid. The fund is aimed at assisting and promoting more and better quality media coverage of development issues in the Irish media.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
-born freelance journalist working for 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...
who was murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
ed by apparent Al Qaeda sympathisers while filming one of the terrorist group's safehouse in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
.
Career
Cumbers was educated in St. Patrick's Classical SchoolSt. Patrick's Classical School (Navan)
St. Patrick's Classical School in Navan, County Meath is a prominent Roman Catholic Church-run school for boys in the Republic of Ireland. It has produced a number of prominent politicians, journalists, Irish sports personalities, broadcasters and two winners of the famous Perrier Comedy Award at...
in Navan
Navan
-People:Navan was the childhood home of Pierce Brosnan, who appeared in the television series Remington Steele and was the fifth film actor to play James Bond. TV personality Hector Ó hEochagáin, and comedians Dylan Moran and Tommy Tiernan also hail from Navan....
, County Meath
County Meath
County Meath is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide . Meath County Council is the local authority for the county...
. An editor of a school magazine,
Tuarim, and a local radio broadcaster with pirate radio station Royal County Radio.
While at St. Patrick's, Simon worked initially with the Drogheda Independent
Drogheda Independent
The Drogheda Independent is a newspaper for the Drogheda area, Louth and the Meath coast. It covers many thing's including its own database of records, and near Halloween, a paranormal section. It is Drogheda only non-free newspaper. It also publishes a smaller preview paper called the Drogheda...
and the Ipswich Evening Star, as a features writer, before becoming the Chief Reporter of Dublin's Capitol Radio (now called FM104
FM104
FM104 is an Independent Local Radio station broadcast across Dublin, Ireland, on the frequency 104.4 MHz. It is operated by Capital Radio Productions Limited , and is a subsidiary of UTV Radio. The station broadcasts under a sound broadcasting contract from the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland...
).
In 1990 Cumbers moved to the United Kingdom
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...
to work with a variety of British broadcasters, including Sky News
Sky News
Sky News is a 24-hour British and international satellite television news broadcaster with an emphasis on UK and international news stories.The service places emphasis on rolling news, including the latest breaking news. Sky News also hosts localised versions of the channel in Australia and in New...
, ITN, APTN
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, and 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...
. Cumbers worked both as a journalist and a producer. In the late 1990s he retrained and became a cameraman as well, establishing Locum Productions, to supply cameramen to broadcasters, together with his wife, BBC journalist Louise Bevan.
Cumbers and BBC correspondent Frank Gardner
Frank Gardner (journalist)
Frank Rolleston Gardner OBE is an English journalist and correspondent. He is currently the BBC's Security Correspondent. He was appointed an OBE in 2005 for his services to journalism.-Background:...
were filming an Al Qaeda safehouse in Al-Suwaidi
Al-Suwaidi
Al-Suwaidi is a district in southwestern Riyadh Province, Saudi Arabia on the western side of the Wadi Hanifa.As of 2005 more than 500,000 people lived in the area. John R...
, Riyadh
Riyadh
Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 5,254,560 people, and the urban center of a...
, Saudi Arabia when they were attacked. Gardner was critically wounded while Cumbers died instantly from a gunshot wound to the head. He was 36.
Latest
The Simon Cumbers Media Fund is administered by DHR Communications and is funded by Irish Aid. The fund is aimed at assisting and promoting more and better quality media coverage of development issues in the Irish media.
Coverage of shooting
- Yemen Times report of the shooting of Frank Gardner and the killing of Simon Cumbers
- Committee to Protect Journalists calls for probe into shootings - IFEXInternational Freedom of Expression ExchangeThe International Freedom of Expression eXchange , founded in 1992, is a global network of around 90 non-governmental organisations that promotes and defends the right to freedom of expression....
Reaction and obituary
- Reaction to Cumbers killing in his local Irish newspaper, the Meath Chronicle
- Obituary for Simon Cumbers by Orla Guerin published in The Guardian
- Comments by then Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Brian Cowen TD on the murder of Simon Cumbers
- BBC Obituary for Simon Cumbers
- Messages paying tribute to Simon Cumbers