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{{short description|British journalist (born 1961)}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=
{{Infobox person
| name = Justin Webb
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| agent =
| credits = [[BBC News]], [[Today (BBC Radio 4)|''Today'']]
| title = North America Editor of [[BBC News]]
| spouse = Sarah Gordon
| children = 3
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==Early life==
In an article in the ''[[Radio Times]]'' in January 2011, Webb revealed that his natural father was [[Peter Woods (journalist)|Peter Woods]] who was formerly a reporter with the ''[[Daily Mirror]]'' and later became a BBC newsreader.<ref name="bbc_online12210403">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12210403 |accessdate=18 January 2011|date=18 January 2011|
Webb's cousin is [[Gregory Woods]], whose mother, Charmion, was the elder sister of Webb's mother, Gloria (despite the shared surname of "Woods", Peter Woods and Gregory Woods are unrelated).<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hutton |first=Interviews by Caroline |date=28 June 2023 |title=Justin Webb and his poet cousin on their mothers’ rivalry |language=en |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/justin-webb-and-his-poet-cousin-on-their-mothers-rivalry-3ffvhhksj |access-date=28 June 2023 |issn=0140-0460}}</ref> Webb grew up in [[Bath, Somerset|Bath]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thisisbath.co.uk/Bath-man-Justin-Webb-reveals-hidden-identity-secret-father/story-11336422-detail/story.html |title=Bath man Justin Webb reveals hidden identity of his secret father |publisher=Bath Chronicle |date=18 January 2011 |accessdate=25 January 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426185515/http://www.thisisbath.co.uk/Bath-man-Justin-Webb-reveals-hidden-identity-secret-father/story-11336422-detail/story.html |archive-date=26 April 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref> He was privately educated at the independent [[Sidcot School]], a [[Religious Society of Friends|Quaker]] school in [[Somerset]], and the [[London School of Economics]], where he wrote articles for [[student newspaper]] ''[[The Beaver (newspaper)|The Beaver]]''.
==Career==
Webb joined the BBC as a graduate trainee in 1984 working in [[Northern Ireland]] for [[BBC Radio Ulster]] based in [[Belfast]]. He then worked as a reporter for BBC Radio 4's [[Today (BBC Radio 4)|''Today'']] programme, before becoming a foreign affairs correspondent based in London and covering news around the world. He reported on the [[Gulf War]] and the war in Bosnia, the collapse of the [[Soviet Union]] and the first democratic elections in [[South Africa]].
He then became a [[BBC News]] presenter based in [[London]], and the main presenter on [[BBC One]]'s ''[[BBC Breakfast|Breakfast News]]'' programme from 1992 to 1997. He also presented the BBC's ''[[BBC News at One|One]]'' and ''[[BBC News at Six|Six O'Clock News]]'' bulletins and presented [[BBC Radio 4]]'s ''[[The World Tonight]]'' from 1997–1998. From 1998 he spent three years working as the BBC's Europe correspondent based in [[Brussels]]. During that time he reported on the workings of the [[European Commission]] and [[European Parliament|Parliament]], the politics surrounding Britain's decision on whether to join the [[euro|single currency]] and the enlargement on the [[European Union]].{{cn|date=May 2024}}
In 2001, Webb moved to the [[United States]], as the BBC's chief [[Washington, D.C.|Washington]] correspondent.<ref>
In August 2009, Webb returned to the UK to replace [[Edward Stourton (journalist)|Edward Stourton]] on [[BBC Radio 4]]'s early morning news programme ''[[Today (BBC Radio 4)|Today]]''.<ref name="bbc.co.uk"/> In October 2017, Webb disclosed that his presenting colleague [[Nick Robinson (journalist)|Nick Robinson]] was being paid £100,000 more than him, for doing "essentially the same job". Webb's pay amounted to £200,000, whilst Robinson's reached £300,000, despite Webb joining the programme six years before.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/10/15/new-bbc-row-justin-webb-asks-nick-robinson-paid-100k-do-job/|title=New BBC row: Justin Webb asks why Nick Robinson is paid £100k more than him to do 'same job'|last=Furness|first=Hannah|date=15 October 2017|work=The Telegraph|access-date=27 May 2019|issn=0307-1235}}</ref> Webb promoted that the era of the "big beast" news anchor would likely be drawing to a close, with the "very well-paid" [[John Humphrys]] and [[Huw Edwards]] "in the firing line".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/03/27/justin-webb-could-today-programme-survive-thrive-without/|title=Justin Webb: could the Today programme survive – and thrive – without John Humphrys?|last=Singh|first=Anita|date=27 March 2018|work=The Telegraph|access-date=27 May 2019|issn=0307-1235}}</ref>
Webb received criticism for appearing to endorse the view that: "antisemitism is a bit like the way some of our people might regard anti-white racism, that actually it's a different order of racism. It's not as important
===Transgender issues===
In 2022, the BBC said Webb was not sufficiently accurate when he described the philosophy professor [[Kathleen Stock]] – who resigned following protests over her views on [[gender identity]] and [[transgender rights]] – as being "falsely" accused of transphobia. However, said that it was accurate to describe her as a subject of abuse by students.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Waterson |first1=Jim |author1-link=Jim Waterson |title=BBC rebukes Justin Webb over comment on Kathleen Stock row |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2022/feb/07/bbc-rebukes-justin-webb-over-comment-on-kathleen-stock-row |access-date=7 February 2022 |work=The Guardian |date=7 February 2022}}</ref>▼
In September 2021, Webb asked Liberal Democrat leader [[Ed Davey]], if there should "not be spaces where biological males cannot go?" in reference to trans women. Webb was later cited in a [[CNN]] article which suggested that "Anti-trans rhetoric" was rife in the British media.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/09/uk/uk-trans-rights-gender-critical-media-intl-gbr-cmd/index.html|title=Analysis: Anti-trans rhetoric is rife in the British media. Little is being done to extinguish the flames|first=Tara|last=John|date=9 October 2021|website=CNN}}</ref>
▲In February 2022, the BBC said that Webb was not sufficiently accurate when he described the philosophy professor [[Kathleen Stock]] – who resigned following protests over her views on [[gender identity]] and [[transgender rights]] – as being "falsely" accused of transphobia. However, the BBC said that it was accurate to describe her as a subject of abuse by students.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Waterson |first1=Jim |author1-link=Jim Waterson |title=BBC rebukes Justin Webb over comment on Kathleen Stock row |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2022/feb/07/bbc-rebukes-justin-webb-over-comment-on-kathleen-stock-row |access-date=7 February 2022 |work=The Guardian |date=7 February 2022}}</ref>
==Personal life==
Webb married his long-term partner Sarah Gordon in the early 2000s. They have three children together: Martha, Sam and Clara. When living in the United States, their son Sam fell ill and was diagnosed with [[Diabetes mellitus type 1|type 1 diabetes mellitus]]. As a result, Webb experienced the [[Health care in the United States|United States healthcare system]] first-hand. His son commonly joins his father in speaking about the disease. In 2012, Webb joined son Sam at [[Addenbrooke's Hospital]] in [[Cambridge]], meeting [[Queen Camilla]] (then Duchess of Cornwall) as she visited the facilities. She later became a Royal Patron of the children's charity, [[JDRF]], a charity which Webb supports on a regular basis.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/justinwebb/2009/01/health_care_heatbreak.html |last=Webb |first=Justin |accessdate=5 January 2009 |date=5 January 2009 |publisher=BBC |title=Health care heartbreak}}</ref>
In August 2009, Webb returned to Britain with his wife and children. They currently live in [[Camberwell]], [[South London]]. In 2008, his mother, Gloria, died and he inherited her home in [[Bath, Somerset]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.southwark.gov.uk/news/article/44/radio_4s_justin_webb|publisher=Southwark Borough Council |title=Radio 4's Justin Webb. His son has since recovered.
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