Channel 4 News appoints first Science Editor

Tom is currently a Science Correspondent at Channel 4 News, and he becomes the first to occupy the new role created to strengthen the programme’s specialist journalism.

His investigation into the use of Tamiflu was nominated this year for a Royal Television Society Award. He has recently reported from Colombia on the trail of new treatments for Alzheimer’s, and took the lead for Channel 4 News in reporting the consequences of the nuclear explosion at Fukushima.

Tom joined ITN, which produces Channel 4 News, in 2003 from the science magazine Nature. He had previously worked as an entomologist studying the physiology of insects in a US laboratory, and as a science specialist for National Public Radio. As well reporting on the cutting edge of science, Tom’s editorial responsibilities will include the environment and climate change, energy, disease and public health. The programme is expecting to fill the gap left by Tom’s promotion very shortly.

Tom is the latest specialist editor to be appointed by Channel 4 News, following the appointment of Jackie Long as Social Affairs Editor earlier this year. The programme’s other editors are Gary Gibbon, Politics; Lindsey Hilsum, International Affairs; Faisal Islam, Economics and Matthew Cain, Culture. Also this year, Matt Frei has taken the role of Washington Correspondent, and both he and Cathy Newman have joined Jon Snow and Krishnan Guru-Murthy on the presenting team. Liam Dutton has joined as the programme’s first ever Weather Presenter.

Follow Tom Clarke on Twitter: @tomclarkec4

Jim Gray, Editor, Channel 4 News, says: “Tom is an exceptional science journalist, whose knowledge and expertise gives viewers and online users of Channel 4 News a superb insight into everything from nuclear meltdown in Japan to the search for the Higgs-Boson. In this new role, he will have greater freedom to shape our overall science coverage and deploy his engaging style to bring original stories and scientific revelations to light.”

Dorothy Byrne, Head of News & Current Affairs at Channel 4, says: “Tom is an outstanding communicator whose passion for scientific ideas imbues his reports. With the creation of this new role, we will be bolstering the importance of science journalism in the programme.”