With the general election campaign now underway Press Gazette has named the top 50 political reporters working in British journalism today.
As with other Press Gazette top 50 lists the findings are based on a survey of 1,000 members of the public and a representative sample of specialist journalists working in this field.
This list does not claim to be conclusive but it is nonetheless a fascinating snapshot of who the top names are in political reporting as rated by journalists themselves and the general public.
Those surveyed were specifically asked to name reporters, rather than commentators, though not all those who made the top 50 would primarily describe themselves as reporters and not all those who voted stuck strictly to the brief.
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The public survey was carried out by iCD research among a weighted sample of 1,000 people from around the UK.
There are a few surprises in the list and some surprising omissions. But as political journalists know only to well, that’s the exciting thing about democracy – you never know what the voters will decide. Where someone makes it on to the top 50 list mainly through the public vote, we have put a ‘p’next to their name.
When asked for the secret of being a good reporter, number one rated political reporter Andrew Marr told Press Gazette: “I think as with any kind of journalism, curiosity is essential. You also need a basic fair-mindedness. You have to accept that most of the people in the political game have mixed motives but part of their motives are good ones and they do want to make the world better, whether they are on the right, centre or left.
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‘A good journalist treats the business of politics, if not everything that happens in politics, with a certain amount of respect – which I try to do.”
The Press Gazette top 50 political reporters was sponsored by Freedom and Responsibility.
Full details of the top 50 political journalists appeared in the April edition of Press Gazette magazine: Subscribe to Press Gazette magazine
1 – Andrew Marr (p), BBC
2 – Philip Webster, election editor, The Times
3 – Joe Murphy, political editor, the Evening Standard
4 – George Parker, political editor, Financial Times
5 – Adam Boulton, political editor, Sky News
6 – Nick Robinson, political editor, BBC
7 – Simon Walters, political editor, Mail on Sunday
8 – Patrick Wintour, political editor, The Guardian
9 – Paul Waugh, deputy political editor, Evening Standard
10 – Jeremy Paxman, presenter, Newsnight
11 – Sam Coates, chief political correspondent, The Times
12 – Norman Smith, political correspondent, BBC News
13 – Andrew Grice, political editor, The Independent
14 – Nicholas Watt, chief political correspondent, The Guardian
15 – Francis Elliott, deputy political editor, The Times
16 – Jean Eaglesham, chief political correspondent, Financial Times
17 – Nigel Morris, deputy political editor, The Independent
18 – Michael White, assistant editor (politics), The Guardian
19 – Patrick Hennessy, political editor, Sunday Telegraph
20 – Andrew Porter, political editor, The Daily Telegraph
21 – James Chapman, political editor, Daily Mail
22 – Robert Winnett, deputy political editor, The Daily Telegraph
23 – James Forsyth, political editor, The Spectator
24 – James Landale, deputy political editor, BBC
25 – Jon Snow, presenter, Channel 4 News
26 – Bob Roberts, political editor, Daily Mirror
27 – David Hencke, former Westminster correspondent forThe Guardian, now of Tribune
28 – Alex Barker, political correspondent, Financial Times
29 – Michael Crick, political editor, Newsnight, BBC
30 – John Rentoul, chief political commentator, Independent on Sunday
31 – Benedict Brogan, deputy editor, The Daily Telegraph
32 – Andrew Rawnsley, associate editor, The Observer
33 – David Grossman, political correspondent, Newsnight
34 – Rob Evans, reporter, The Guardian
35 – Trevor Kavanagh, associate editor (politics) The Sun
36 – Rachel Sylvester, columnist, The Times
37 – John Pienaar, chief political correspondent, Radio 5live
38 – James Lyons, political correspondent, The Daily Mirror
39 – Allegra Stratton, political correspondent, The Guardian
40 – Toby Helm, Whitehall editor, The Observer
41 – Kevin Schofield, political correspondent, The Sun
42 – Alex Forrest, political correspondent, ITV News
43 – Joey Jones, Sky News political correspondent
44 – John Humphrys (p), presenter/interviewer, Today, BBC Radio 4
45 – Andrew Neil (p), presenter/interviewer, The Daily Politics, BBC
46 – Jim Pickard, Westminster correspondent, Financial Times
47 – Tom Bradby, ITN political editor
48 – Brendan Carlin, political correspondent, Mail on Sunday
49 – Mehdi Hasan, senior editor, politics, New Statesman
50 – Paul Rowley, regional political correspondent, BBC
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