Janice Turner
{{Short description|British journalist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{BLP sources|date=July 2010}}
{{Lead too short|date=January 2021}}
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{{Infobox person
| name = Janice Turner
| image =
| image_size =
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| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1964|4|8|df=y}}{{cite web | url=https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/officers/G2NCr3F2JcwsFjIXQxetozjLx2w/appointments | title=Janice Smith TURNER personal appointments - Find and update company information - GOV.UK }}
| birth_place = Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England
| death_date =
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| education = Ridgewood School
| alma_mater = University of Sussex
| occupation = Journalist
| known for = Columnist and feature writer for The Times
| spouse = {{marriage|Ben Preston|1995}}
| children =
| relatives = Peter Preston (father-in-law)
| website =
}}
Janice Turner (born 8 April 1964{{Cite tweet |last=Turner |first=Janice |author-link= |user=VictoriaPeckham |number=1512346074064818176 |date=8 April 2022 |title=I have never once shared my Wordle bollocks, but it's my birthday and I had a mare. |script-title= |trans-title= |language= |retweet= |location= |access-date=12 April 2022 |link= |ref=}}) is a British journalist, and a columnist and feature writer for The Times.
Early life
Turner was born in Wakefield, West Yorkshire.{{cite web |url= http://www.regen.net/news/973824/Regeneration-newspapers-Fast-train-set-pull-new-business/ |title=Regeneration in the newspapers: Fast train set to pull in new business |publisher= |access-date=7 January 2018}} She went to Ridgewood School{{cite news |url= https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/can-you-succeed-if-you-go-to-a-comp-q35ckpjjl7x |title=Can you succeed if you go to a comp?|first=Janice |last=Turner |work=The Times |location= London |date=2 February 2013 |first2=Jude |last2=Edgington |access-date=7 January 2018}} in the north of Doncaster. She attended the University of Sussex, where she spent a year as an elected Student Union Officer and edited the Unionews magazine.
Career
Before taking up her present post at The Times, Turner was a magazine editor for several women's titles, launching That's Life and Real. She left to write occasional columns for The Guardian and wrote a column about magazines for the Press Gazette.
Accolades
Turner won Interviewer of the Year in the 2014 and 2019 British Press Awards. She was shortlisted for best columnist in 2005,{{cite web |title=British Press Awards - first shortlists |url=http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=29481§ioncode=1 |url-status=dead |website=Press Gazette |access-date=19 September 2018 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120910092455/http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=29481§ioncode=1 |archive-date=10 September 2012 |via=archive.is |date=11 February 2005 |quote=Janice Turner, The Times }} 2007,{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/an-alternative-view-of-tonights-british-press-awards-441847.html|title=US|work=The Independent|access-date=7 January 2018}}{{dead link|date=August 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} and 2008,{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2008/mar/04/pressandpublishing|title=British Press Awards nominees|date=4 March 2008|work=The Guardian|access-date=7 January 2018}} 2016 (highly commended), 2017, 2018 and 2019. She was shortlisted for best interviewer in 2006 and 2017.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2006/mar/20/pressandpublishing1|title=British Press Awards as they happened ...|first=Steve|last=Busfield|date=20 March 2006|work=The Guardian|access-date=7 January 2018}} She was short-listed for the 2017 Orwell Prize.{{citation needed|date=October 2020}} Turner won the 2020 Orwell Prize for Journalism.{{Cite web|url=https://www.orwellfoundation.com/journalist/janice-turner-2/|title=Janice Turner|date=9 April 2020|website=The Orwell Foundation}} She won "Interviewer of the Year – Broadsheet" at the 2020 Press Awards.{{Cite web|url=https://www.pressgazette.co.uk/press-awards-reveal-winners-despite-cancelling-ceremony-over-covid-19/|title=Press Awards reveal winners despite cancelling ceremony over Covid-19|first=Charlotte|last=Tobitt|date=April 3, 2020|website=Press Gazette}} She won Comment Journalist of the Year at the 2018 British Journalism Awards.
In 2016, Turner won the award "A Woman's Voice" in the Editorial Intelligence awards which she declined with the following statement:{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/nov/27/womens-journalism-prize-desperation-janice-turner|title=Women's journalism prize is more desperation than balance|website=TheGuardian.com |date=27 November 2016|access-date=25 December 2019}}
{{blockquote|'Man is defined as a human being and a woman as a female.' Simone de Beauvoir wrote those words in 1949. And in journalism, they are still true. Marina, Rosamund, Mary and I have written about elections, war, Brexit, celebrity, poverty, refugees, sport... But whatever women columnists write, and however well we write it, our words are heard only in a minor key. A woman's voice. I would be letting down the many talented female human beings on British newspapers if I accepted this award.}}
Writing about transgender people
Turner has been criticised for her writing about transgender people.{{cite news |last1=Mayhew |first1=Freddy |title=Buzzfeed's LGBT editor worried by transgender media coverage as Times columnist Janice Turner urges free debate on issue |url=https://www.pressgazette.co.uk/buzzfeeds-lgbt-editor-worried-by-transgender-media-coverage-as-times-columnist-janice-turner-urges-free-debate-on-issue/ |access-date=4 March 2019|quote=Turner has faced criticism for her articles on the issue of transgender identity|work=Press Gazette |date=11 December 2018}} Her articles on the topic include "Children sacrificed to appease trans lobby",{{Cite web |last=Turner |first=Janice |title=Children sacrificed to appease trans lobby |url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/healthcare/article/children-sacrificed-to-appease-trans-lobby-bq0m2mm95 |access-date=2022-01-19 |language=en|website=The Times|date=2017-11-11}} "The battle over gender has turned bloody",{{Cite web |last=Turner |first=Janice |title=The battle over gender has turned bloody |url=https://www.thetimes.com/comment/article/the-battle-over-gender-has-turned-bloody-2wpkmnqhh |access-date=2022-01-19 |language=en|website=The Times|date=2017-09-16}} and "Trans rapists are a danger in women’s jails".{{Cite web |last=Turner |first=Janice |title=Trans rapists are a danger in women's jails |url=https://www.thetimes.com/comment/article/trans-rapists-are-a-danger-in-women-s-jails-5vhgh57pt |access-date=2022-01-19 |language=en|website=The Times|date=2018-09-08}} Helen Belcher, co-founder of Trans Media Watch, condemned Turner's columns, arguing that Turner painted trans people as "dangerous sex offenders" and claimed that the Times columns such as Turner's would lead to trans teen suicides.{{cite news |last1=Tobitt |first1=Charlotte |title=Times withdraws from comment awards over treatment of columnists as it defends 'diversity of opinion' |url=https://www.pressgazette.co.uk/times-withdraws-from-comment-awards-event-over-treatment-of-columnists-janice-turner-melanie-phillips/ |access-date=4 March 2019 |work=Press Gazette |date=22 October 2018}}{{cite web |author1=PA Medialawyer |author2=Press Gazette |title=Activist loses IPSO complaint against Janice Turner column in Times about trans suicides |url=https://www.pressgazette.co.uk/activist-loses-ipso-complaint-against-janice-turner-times-column-about-trans-suicides/ |website=Press Gazette |access-date=28 June 2019 |date=26 April 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.ipso.co.uk/rulings-and-resolution-statements/ruling/?id=07454-18|title=07454-18 Belcher v The Times|website=Independent Press Standards Organisation|access-date=15 October 2019}} Turner condemned Belcher's comments,{{Cite web |last=Turner |first=Janice |title=Suicides should never be a political weapon |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/suicides-should-never-be-a-political-weapon-w0jlhn5v0 |access-date=2022-01-19 |language=en|website=The Times|date=2018-10-20}} calling them "ghastly" and "libelous". The Times defended Turner, writing that "Concerns of biological women must not be silenced".{{Cite web |last=Tobitt |first=Charlotte |date=2018-10-15 |title=Comment awards organisers defend nomination of Times columnists after nominees and judge withdraw |url=https://pressgazette.co.uk/comment-awards-defends-nomination-of-times-columnists-after-nominees-and-judge-withdraw/ |access-date=2022-01-19 |website=Press Gazette |language=en-US}}
In 2019, Turner tweeted that trans model and activist Munroe Bergdorf was unfit to be an ambassador for Childline because Bergdorf was a "porn model" who had posed for Playboy. Bergdorf denied ever participating in porn, and stated that it was wrong to demonize persons that do in any case. NSPCC, the owner of Childline, cut ties with Bergdorf due to the controversy.{{Cite web |last1=Jones |first1=Owen |last2=Perraudin |first2=Frances |date=2019-06-11 |title=NSPCC staff condemn decision to cut ties with trans activist |url=http://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/jun/11/munroe-bergdorf-nspcc-staff-condemn-decision-to-cut-ties-with-trans-activist |access-date=2022-01-19 |website=The Guardian |language=en}}
Personal life
Turner married Ben Preston, executive editor of The Sunday Times, a former editor of the Radio Times, and a former deputy editor of The Times,{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2002/apr/15/pressandpublishing1|title=Turner leaves Real life behind|first=Jessica|last=Hodgson|newspaper=The Guardian |date=15 April 2002|publisher=|access-date=7 January 2018|via=www.theguardian.com}} and the son of Peter Preston, in 1995. The couple have two sons. She lives in Camberwell, south London.
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Turner, Janice}}
Category:Alumni of the University of Sussex
Category:People from Doncaster
Category:People from East Dulwich