John Cole (journalist)
| John Cole | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
John Morrison Cole 23 November 1927 Belfast, Northern Ireland |
| Died | 7 November 2013 (aged 85) Claygate, Surrey, England |
| Cause of death | Cancer |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Journalist, broadcaster |
| Known for | BBC political editor (1981–1992) |
| Spouse(s) | Madge |
| Children | 4 |
John Morrison Cole (23 November 1927 – 7 November 2013) was a British journalist and broadcaster. He served as deputy editor of The Guardian and The Observer and, from 1981 to 1992, was the BBC's political editor.Donald Macintyre, in an obituary in The Independent, describes him as "the most recognisable and respected broadcast political journalist since World War II."
Cole was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in 1927 to George Cole, an electrical engineer, and his wife Alice. The family were Ulster Protestants. He received his formal education at the Belfast Royal Academy.
Cole started his career in print journalism in 1945, aged 17, joining the Belfast Telegraph as a reporter and industrial correspondent. He subsequently worked as a political reporter for the paper. He gained a scoop when he interviewed then-prime minister, Clement Attlee, who was holidaying in Ireland.
He joined The Guardian, then the Manchester Guardian, in 1956, reporting on industrial issues. He transferred to the London office in 1957 as the paper's labour correspondent. Appointed news editor in 1963, he took on the task of reorganising the paper's "amateurish" system for gathering news. He headed opposition to a proposed merger with The Times in the mid-1960s, and later served as deputy editor under Alastair Hetherington. When Hetherington left in 1975, Cole was in the running for the editorship, but failed to secure the post, for reasons which may have included his commitment to the cause of unionism in Northern Ireland, as well as what was seen by some as inflexibility and a lack of flair. Unwilling to continue at The Guardian, Cole then joined The Observer as deputy editor under Donald Trelford, remaining there for six years.
...
Wikipedia