Tim Luckhurst

During the late 1980s and 1990s, Luckhurst worked for the BBC on Radio 4's Today and as a member of the editorial team that designed and launched BBC Radio 5 Live.[7] Luckhurst covered the Romanian Revolution of 1989 and the First Gulf War. He was the BBC's Washington producer during the first year of the Clinton presidency and reported on the Waco Siege for BBC Radio. From 1995 to 1997 he was editor of news programmes at BBC Scotland. Later he reported on the liberation of Kosovo and the fall of Slobodan Milošević for The Scotsman. From February to May 2000, Luckhurst was editor of The Scotsman.[8][9]

Luckhurst is the author of This is Today – A Biography of the Today Programme (London, Aurum Press 2001) and Responsibility without Power: Lord Justice Leveson's Constitutional Dilemma (Abramis Academic 2013) and co-wrote Assessing the Delivery of BBC Radio 5 Live's Public Service Commitments (Abramis Academic 2019).[10]

He contributed a chapter to the book, The Phone Hacking Scandal: Journalism on Trial. This chapter formed the basis of his submission to the Leveson Inquiry.[11] He has written for various publications including The Independent, The Guardian,[12] the New Statesman, The New Republic, The Spectator, the British Journalism Review, The Times, The Globe and Mail and the Scottish Daily Mail.

Luckhurst is a member of the editorial board of The Conversation UK, a not-for-profit media outlet that publishes news stories, analysis of current affairs and research reports online.[13]

In June 2007 he became professor of journalism and the news industry at the University of Kent's new Centre for Journalism.[14] At Kent, Luckhurst was a member of the team that launched KM Television,[15] a local television station for Kent and Medway; he was a director of KM Television Ltd between 2016 and 2019.[16]

In November 2019 he joined Durham University as the principal of the new South College,[17] and associate pro-vice-chancellor (engagement).

In December 2021 Luckhurst was at the centre of controversy over a Christmas formal held at South College, during which Luckhurst's friend Rod Liddle was invited to speak.[18][19] Some students were unaware that Liddle had been invited, and several left in protest before he began speaking. Luckhurst received criticism both for the decision to invite Liddle to speak at the Christmas dinner, and for his behaviour towards students during and after the speech.[20] Liddle accused Durham University of "scapegoating" Luckhurst and "hanging him out to dry", adding that "they have treated an eminent and extremely talented professor despicably".[21] Durham University subsequently announced an investigation into the events at the formal,[22] with Luckhurst stepping aside from some duties until it had concluded.[23] The university investigation concluded in January 2022[24] and Luckhurst resumed all his duties as principal of the college and associate pro-vice-chancellor.