Justin Webb: Difference between revisions

{{Use dmy dates|date=JanuaryMay 20202024}}

| title = North America Editor of [[BBC News]] {{small|(2007–2009)}}

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|publisherwork=BBC News|title=BBC News – Today host Justin Webb names his father as Peter Woods}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2011/jan/18/justin-webb-father-mystery|title=BBC's Justin Webb reveals father was 1970s newscaster|last=Robinson|first=James|date=18 January 2011|work=The Guardian|access-date=27 May 2019|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref> Woods was married and Webb's mother, then Gloria Crocombe (daughter of Leonard Crocombe, first editor of the ''[[Radio Times]]''),<ref>{{Cite news |last=Calkin |first=Jessamy |date=3 April 2021-04-03 |title=Broadcaster Justin Webb: ‘I’m happy my children have had a different upbringing to me’ |language=en-GB |work=The Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/family/life/broadcaster-justin-webb-happy-children-have-had-different-upbringing/ |access-date=2023-06-28 June 2023 |issn=0307-1235}}</ref> was a secretary at the ''Daily Mirror'' and was divorced from her first husband at the time of the affair with Woods.<ref>Justin Webb [https://www.theguardian.com/news/2006/oct/02/obituaries.readersobituaries Obituary: Gloria Webb], theguardian.com, 2 October 2006. Still an unnamed "married man" at this point.</ref> Webb commented that his mother's split from Woods may have been as much her doing as his, saying "I do not believe she was abandoned".<ref name="bbc_online12210403"/> Woods provided financially for Webb but saw his son only once, when he was six months old.{{citation needed|date=May 2020}} Webb took the surname of his stepfather when his mother remarried in 1964.<ref name="telegraph1"/> 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=2023-06-28 |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=2023-06-28 |issn=0140-0460}}</ref>

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]]''.

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>[{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/newswatch/ukfs/hi/newsid_3560000/newsid_3568900/3568925.stm]|title=Justin BBCWebb|date=30 WebsiteMarch accessed2004|work=BBC 8 February 2008News}}</ref> Much of his time was spent on local Washington Radio, most notablyincluding, [[WAMU]], a public radio station, on ''[[The Diane Rehm Show]]''. He raised eyebrows within the BBC inIn 2006 when, at a seminar on impartiality, heWebb said the corporationBBC was anti-American and treated the US with "scorn and derision", according it "no moral weight".<ref>[http://theamericanexpatinuk.blogspot.com/2006/01/justin-webb-apologizes-for-offending.html]{{cn|date=May The American Expatriate blog. Website accessed 19 November 2007</ref>2024}} He has also presented a [[BBC Radio 4|Radio 4]] series on anti-Americanism.<ref>[{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2007/nov/05/bbc.television?gusrc|title=rss&feed=media]Webb Mediasteps Guardianup articlein MondayNorth 5America Novemberfor 2007. Website accessed 18BBC|first=Leigh|last=Holmwood|date=5 November 2007|work=The Guardian}}</ref> In December 2007, he became [[North America]]n Editor for BBC News, a role newly created in time for the [[US Presidential Election 2008|American presidential election]] of 2008.<ref>[http{{cite web|url=https://www.digitalspy.co.ukcom/broadcastingmedia/a79293/bbc-appoints-north-america-editor.html]/|title=BBC appoints BBCNorth WebsiteAmerica accessed 19editor|date=6 November 2007|website=Digital Spy}}</ref> He replaced [[Matt Frei]] who moved to present the new World News America bulletin.{{cn|date=May Since November 2007, Webb has maintained a regularly updated [[blog]] on the BBC website.2024}}

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 -– it's still bad -– but it's not as important as some other forms of racism..." on the BBC on March 12, March 2019; a BBC spokesperson clarified that he was "not expressing any personal view" and that Webb "is the first to admit he should have phrased his question better."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thejc.com/news/uk/bbc-presenter-justin-webb-admits-he-should-have-phrased-antisemitism-question-better-1.481469 | title=BBC presenter admits he 'should have phrased antisemitism question better' | author=Jack Sommers | date=March 13, March 2019 |access-date=2021-02-14 February 2021|website=www.thejc.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Frot|first=Mathilde|title=BBC presenter 'did not mean to suggest' antisemitism is not important|url=https://jewishnews.timesofisrael.com/bbc-presenter-did-not-mean-to-suggest-antisemitism-is-not-important/|access-date=2021-02-14 February 2021|website=jewishnews.timesofisrael.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Oster|first=Marcy|title=BBC news host suggests anti-Semitism isn't as bad as other forms of racism|url=https://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/news/world_news/bbc-news-host-suggests-anti-semitism-isn-t-as-bad-as-other-forms-of-racism/article_e4e98057-75f8-587e-9f74-a4b358f45c48.html|access-date=2021-02-14 February 2021|website=Cleveland Jewish News}}</ref>

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>