
Reeta Chakrabarti, chief presenter for ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ News, joined ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Media Action’s board of trustees in October 2022.
For me, ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Media Action is the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ at its best. It uses the core values that underpin the Corporation to help communities across the world to help themselves, whether that’s in times of natural disaster or emergency, or in ongoing work to build strong, democratic societies. During my career, I have reported on people fleeing persecution, violence and poverty, and have seen first-hand their suffering and deprivation. ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Media Action can help champion those who don’t have a voice, as well as bringing trusted information and support to communities who don’t readily have access to it.
I have been with the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ since 1994, when I became a reporter for the breakfast programme on then-newly launched ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio 5 Live. Later, I became a general news correspondent, and then Community Affairs correspondent, working on television as well as radio.
I have served as political correspondent and education correspondent for the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½, working across a full breadth of radio and television programmes including ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ News, before being appointed as news presenter for ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ One and the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ News channel in 2014. I’ve covered stories including migrants making dangerous crossings in the Mediterranean Sea; the Rohingya crisis from both Myanmar and Bangladesh; the 2020 US election and the global pandemic. In spring 2022, I presented the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ News from Ukraine following Russia’s invasion of the country.
I was born in Ealing, London and grew up in Birmingham; I also spent time in Kolkata, India as a teenager. I hold a degree in English and French from Exeter College, University of Oxford.
Board of Trustees
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Francesca Unsworth
Chair -
Sir Myles Wickstead KCMG
Vice chair -
Shirley Cameron
Trustee -
Reeta Chakrabarti
Trustee -
Phil Harrold
Trustee -
Freshta Karim
Trustee -
Gavin Mann
Trustee -
Lindsey North
Trustee -
Nick Pickles
Trustee -
Julia Rank
Chair of Finance and Audit Committee -
Sophia Swithern
Trustee
Management
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Simon Bishop
Chief Executive Officer -
Laura Collier-Keywood
Chief Operating Officer -
Seamus Gallagher
Regional Director, Africa and Middle East -
Gemma Hayman
Regional Director, Asia, the Pacific and Europe -
Richard Lace
Director of Programmes -
Rob Melvill
Director of Fundraising -
Eva Ng'ang'a
People and Culture Lead -
Caroline Sugg
Director of Strategy and Partnerships