Tim Luckhurst

Luckhurst was born in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England.{{cite news|title=Luckhurst, Prof. Timothy Colin Harvey|website=Who's Who 2018|publisher=Oxford University Press|doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.251437|date=1 December 2010}} He was educated at Peebles High School in the Scottish Borders. He studied history at Robinson College, Cambridge, graduating in 1983.

Between 1985 and 1988 he worked as parliamentary press officer for Donald Dewar (then Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland) and for the Scottish Labour group of MPs at Westminster. He stood as the Labour candidate for the Roxburgh and Berwickshire constituency at the 1987 general election.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/the-future-is-bright-the-future-is-selective-698376.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220507/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/the-future-is-bright-the-future-is-selective-698376.html |archive-date=7 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=The future is bright, the future is selective|last=Luckhurst|first=Tim|website=The Independent|date=14 September 2000}}{{cbignore}} He was critical of the party in 2001{{cite news|title=I can no longer support this sleazy, squalid and corrupt political party|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/commentators/tim-luckhurst-i-can-no-longer-support-this-sleazy-squalid-and-corrupt-political-party-9137650.html|last=Luckhurst|first=Tim|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220507/https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/commentators/tim-luckhurst-i-can-no-longer-support-this-sleazy-squalid-and-corrupt-political-party-9137650.html|archive-date=7 May 2022|url-access=subscription|url-status=live|date=31 October 2001|work=The Independent}}{{cbignore}} and joined the Scottish Conservatives in 2005.{{cite news|url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12446671.ex-dewar-aide-joins-tories-as-he-praises-cameron/|work=The Herald|date=9 December 2005|title=Ex-Dewar aide joins Tories as he praises Cameron|url-access=subscription}}

Luckhurst is a member of the editorial board of the media outlet The Conversation UK.{{cite web|url=https://theconversation.com/profiles/tim-luckhurst-1060715|title=Tim Luckhurst|website=The Conversation|date=4 May 2020 }} and a member of the Advisory Council of the anti racism campaign Don't Divide Us.{{Cite web |title=Advisory Council |url=https://dontdivideus.com/advisory-council/ |access-date=2023-09-23 |website=Don't Divide Us |language=en-GB}}

Between 1987 and 1995, Luckhurst worked for the BBC on Radio 4's Today and was a member of the editorial team that designed and launched BBC Radio 5 Live.{{Cite web|url=https://www.dur.ac.uk/directory/profile/?id=19260|title=Prof Luckhurst|publisher=Durham University}} He covered the Romanian Revolution and the First Gulf War. He was the BBC's Washington, D.C. 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 national radio and television news programmes at BBC Scotland. Later he reported on the liberation of Kosovo and the fall of Slobodan Milošević for The Scotsman. Luckhurst joined The Scotsman as Assistant Editor in January 1997. He became Deputy Editor in January 1998 and was appointed Acting Editor in January 2000. He served as editor of The Scotsman between February and May 2000.{{cite web |title=The History of The Scotsman |url=http://archive.scotsman.com/help/about |website=The Scotsman Digital Archive |access-date=10 December 2021}}{{cite news |last=Garside |first=Juliette |date=2 June 2000 |title=First Woman Editor for The Scotsman |url=https://www.prweek.com/article/100835/media-first-woman-editor-scotsman |website=PRWeek |access-date=10 December 2021}} Luckhurst was diagnosed with clinical depression and took medical leave. He claimed to have been "sacked as a direct consequence of my diagnosis."{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/commentators/tim-luckhurst-resist-the-depression-industry-9203946.html|title=Resist the depression industry|last=Luckhurst|first=Tim|date=27 June 2001|website=The Independent}}

Luckhurst is the author of Reporting the Second World War – The Press and the People 1939–1945 (London, Bloomsbury Academic 2023){{Cite web|url=https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/reporting-the-second-world-war-9781350149496/|title=Reporting the Second World War|website=Bloomsbury}} 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){{Cite web|url=https://www.abramis.co.uk/books/bookdetails.php?id=184549558|title=Responsibility without Power|website=abramis.co.uk}} and co-wrote Assessing the Delivery of BBC Radio 5 Live's Public Service Commitments (Abramis Academic 2019).{{cite book|url=https://www.abramis.co.uk/books/bookdetails.php?id=184549739|title=Assessing the Delivery of BBC Radio 5 Live's Public Service Commitments|last1=Luckhurst|first1=Tim|last2=Cocking|first2=Ben|last3=Reeves|first3=Ian|last4=Bailey|first4=Rob|year=2019|publisher=Abramis Academic Publishing|location=Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, UK|isbn=978-1-84549-739-2}}

In 2010, Luckhurst wrote a chapter Compromising the First Draft for the book Afghanistan War and the Media.{{cite book |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/701111958 |title=Afghanistan, War and the Media: Deadlines and Frontlines |date=2010 |publisher=Arima |first1=Richard |last1=Keeble |first2=John |last2=Mair |isbn=978-1-84549-444-5 |location=Bury St Edmunds |oclc=701111958}} In 2017, he contributed a chapter entitled Online and On Death Row: Historicising Newspapers in Crisis to the Routledge Companion to British Media History.{{cite web | url=https://www.routledge.com/The-Routledge-Companion-to-British-Media-History/Conboy-Steel/p/book/9780815395485#:~:text=The%20Routledge%20Companion%20to%20British%20Media%20History%20provides%20a%20comprehensive,social%2C%20regional%20and%20national%20contexts | title=The Routledge Companion to British Media History }} He also 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.{{cite web | url=http://www.levesoninquiry.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Submission-by-Professor-Tim-Luckhurst.pdf | title=Missing the Target and Spurning the Prize | author=Tim Luckhurst | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140427045628/http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20140122145147/http://www.levesoninquiry.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Submission-by-Professor-Tim-Luckhurst.pdf | archive-date=2014-04-27 | work=Leveson Inquiry | date=February 2012 | url-status=unfit}}

He has written for various publications including The Independent, The Guardian,[https://www.theguardian.com/profile/timluckhurst Tim Luckhurst], The Guardian contributor page the New Statesman, The Spectator, The Times, The New Republic,{{Cite magazine|url=https://newrepublic.com/article/66221/home-base|title=Home Base|last=Luckhurst|first=Tim|date=22 April 2002|magazine=The New Republic}} The Los Angeles Times ,{{cite web | url=https://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-luckhurst-british-election-20170601-story.html | title=Op-Ed: Odds are still against a Labor Party victory in the U.K. | website=Los Angeles Times | date=2 June 2017 }} and The Globe and Mail.{{cite news | url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/with-friends-like-these/article1051959/ | title=Opinion: With friends like these | newspaper=The Globe and Mail | date=26 February 2008 | last1=Luckhurst | first1=Tim }}

In June 2007 he became professor of journalism and the news industry at the University of Kent's new Centre for Journalism.{{cite news|url=https://pressgazette.co.uk/journalism-professor-for-new-kent-degree/|title=Journalism professor for new Kent degree|date=29 May 2007|work=Press Gazette}} Luckhurst's academic research explores newspaper journalism during the first and second world wars and the era of appeasement. He has published in journals including Journalism Studies,{{Cite web|url=https://www.tandfonline.com/action/doSearch?AllField=Tim+Luckhurst&SeriesKey=rjos20|title=Search results | Taylor & Francis Online|website=tandfonline.com}} Contemporary British History,{{Cite web|url=https://www.tandfonline.com/action/doSearch?AllField=Tim+Luckhurst&SeriesKey=fcbh20|title=Search results | Taylor & Francis Online|website=tandfonline.com}} 1914 -1918 Online: The International Encyclopedia of the First World War,{{Cite web|url=https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/war_correspondents?version=1.0|title=War Correspondents | International Encyclopedia of the First World War (WW1)|website=encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net}} British Journalism Review{{Cite web|url=https://journals.scholarsportal.info/search?q=Tim+Luckhurst&search_in=anywhere&op=AND&q=British+Journalism+Review&search_in=JOURNAL&date_from=&date_to=&sort=relevance&sub=|title=Results | Scholars Portal Journals|website=journals.scholarsportal.info}} Ethical Space: The International Journal of Communication Ethics{{Cite journal |last=Luckhurst |first=Tim C. H. |year=2016 |title=A sovereign editor: Arthur Mann's Yorkshire Post and its crusade against appeasement, 1938–1939 |url=https://www.academia.edu/29638007 |journal=Ethical Space, the International Journal of Communications Ethics}} and George Orwell Studies.{{cite web | url=https://www.abramis.co.uk/books/bookdetails.php?id=184549717 | title=George Orwell Studies Vol.2 No.1 }} In May 2017 Luckhurst gave the keynote lecture Inspiring critical and ethical journalism at the Orwell Society's annual conference.{{cite web | url=https://orwellsociety.com/teaching-orwell-george-orwell-studies-conference-2017/ | title=Teaching Orwell: George Orwell Studies Conference 2017 | date=26 May 2017 }} His work has also been published in academic collections including Writing the First World War after 1918.{{cite book | url=https://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/12726304 | isbn=9781138601956 | title=Writing the First World War after 1918 | series=Journalism studies. Theory and practice | year=2019 | publisher=Routledge, Taylor & Francis }}

At Kent, Luckhurst was a member of the team that launched KM Television,{{Cite web|url=https://www.kentonline.co.uk/kmtv/|title=KMTV – TV made for Kent|website=Kent Online}} a local television station for Kent and Medway; he was a director of KM Television Ltd between 2016 and 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/officers/n7BK0zOy8oidQYbXUFYz1jOdlRU/appointments|title=Timothy Colin Harvey Luckhurst – Personal Appointments (free information from Companies House)|publisher=Companies House, Government of the United Kingdom}} In 2012, Luckhurst was interviewed by The New York Times about the BBC's changes to its journalistic standards and bureaucratic procedures. Following a number of scandals, Luckhurst believed the problem to be that the BBC "wanted systems that could take responsibility instead of people."{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/15/world/europe/bbc-failures-show-limits-of-guidelines.html | title=Crises at BBC Brought Rules, then a Failure | newspaper=The New York Times | date=15 November 2012 | last1=Lyall | first1=Sarah | last2=Kulish | first2=Nicholas }} As Head of the University of Kent's Centre for Journalism, Luckhurst led opposition to Lord Justice Leveson's proposal for officially sanctioned regulation of the British press. In Responsibility without Power: Lord Justice Leveson's Constitutional Dilemma he argued that 'An officially regulated press is the glib, easy, dangerous solution. It would spell the slow, painful death of a raucous, audacious and impertinent press able to speak truth to power on behalf of its readers and entertaining enough to secure their loyalty'.{{citation |first=Tim C. H. |last=Luckhurst |url=https://kar.kent.ac.uk/34479 |title=Responsibility without Power: Lord Justice Leveson's constitutional dilemma |date=1 October 2012 |publisher=Abramis }}

In November 2019 he joined Durham University as the principal of the new South College,{{cite tweet|user=durham_uni|author=Durham University|number=1147151911281483778|title=We are delighted to announce the appointment of five new Heads of College who will join us in 2019/20. @TCHL @maggidawn @SimonForrest1 @RobLynes}} and associate pro-vice-chancellor (engagement).

On 31 May 2006, The Guardian columnist George Monbiot criticised Luckhurst for his reaction to the film The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006).{{cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/asia-travel/china/director-in-a-class-of-his-own-sf2ft9jbqgb|title=Director in a class of his own|last=Luckhurst|first=Tim|date=31 May 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070313001917/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/thunderer/article669926.ece|archive-date=13 March 2007|url-status=live|work=The Times}} Luckhurst described it as a "poisonously anti-British corruption of the history of the war of Irish independence" and compared director Ken Loach to Nazi propagandist Leni Riefenstahl.{{Cite book |last=Connelly |first=Mark |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TzJtY1Mlu_4C&dq=tim+luckhurst+wind+shakes+barley&pg=PA29 |title=The IRA on Film and Television: A History |date=2014 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-0-7864-8961-9 |language=en}} Responding to Luckhurst's claims, Monbiot wrote: "Occupations brutalise both the occupiers and the occupied. It is our refusal to learn that lesson which allows new colonial adventures to take place. If we knew more about Ireland, the invasion of Iraq might never have happened."{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2006/jun/06/comment.world|title=If we knew more about Ireland, we might never have invaded Iraq|last=Monbiot|first=George|date=6 June 2006|work=The Guardian|accessdate=18 July 2022}}

As a former BBC editor, Luckhurst appeared on GB News in July 2021. His role was to discuss Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis' criticism regarding fallout from Dominic Cummings' controversial trip to Barnard Castle during a COVID-19 lockdown. Luckhurst alleged Maitlis' criticism of both the government and BBC were "partisan" and they potentially breached impartiality of the BBC. He summarised that he believed she should apologise and withdraw the comments.{{cite web |last=Wei |first=Xindi |date=28 July 2021 |title=Emily Maitlis savaged for 'compromising' BBC neutrality: 'Should not get away with it' |url=https://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/1468612/Emily-Maitlis-news-BBC-impartiality-Tim-Luckhurst-GB-news-video-vn |website=Daily Express |language=en}}{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tyne-59598072 |title=Durham University college principal steps back amid Liddle walk-out probe |work=BBC News |date=9 December 2021|access-date=15 December 2021}} Maitlis later asserted the accusation originated from Government sources pressurising the BBC to force an apology and suspension.

Ultimately, Ofcom determined Maitlis had not breached BBC impartiality standards and took no action.{{cite news |url= https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-62662212 |title=Emily Maitlis says BBC rebuke over Dominic Cummings remarks made no sense |publisher=BBC |date=24 August 2022 |access-date=2023-12-16}}

In December 2021 Luckhurst was the focus of controversy over a Christmas formal held at Durham University's South College, during which Luckhurst's friend Rod Liddle was invited to speak. Liddle's speech included remarks that "a person with an X and a Y chromosome, that has a long, dangling penis, is scientifically a man" and "colonialism is not remotely the major cause of Africa's problems, just as [...] the educational underachievement of British people of Caribbean descent or African Americans is nothing to do with institutional or structural racism", prompting accusations of transphobia and racism. Some students left in protest before Liddle began to speak and several more left during his speech. As the dinner was not a forum for debate. Luckhurst shouted at students who walked out before the speech, calling them "pathetic".{{Cite web |date=4 December 2021 |last1=Askham |first1=Poppy |last2=Kendix |first2=Max |title=South Principal calls students "pathetic" for protest over "transphobic" guest |url=https://www.palatinate.org.uk/south-principal-calls-students-pathetic-for-protest-over-transphobic-guest/ |access-date=14 May 2022 |website=Palatinate |language=en-GB}} Most students were not made aware of Liddle's attendance prior to the paid event, and decided during the course of the meal to organise a walk-out.{{Cite web |last=Dixon |first=Will |date=5 December 2021 |title=University "categorically" disagrees with Liddle South College comments |url=https://www.palatinate.org.uk/university-categorically-disagrees-with-liddle-south-college-comments/ |access-date=2024-10-11 |website=Palatinate |language=en-GB}} The Times newspaper, which Liddle worked for as a weekly columnist, published a controversial opinion piece in support of Luckhurst, lamenting the University's decision to launch an investigation.{{cite web | url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/the-times-view-on-durham-universitys-investigation-into-a-talk-by-rod-liddle-dinner-date-c22bj57vb | title=The Times view on Durham University's investigation into a talk by Rod Liddle: Dinner Date | date=8 December 2021 }} The university investigation concluded in January 2022{{cite web |title=Statements from Durham University on South College dinner |last=Long |first=Antony |date=10 March 2022 |url=https://www.durham.ac.uk/about-us/notices/statement-on-south-college-dinner/ |publisher=Durham University |access-date=22 April 2022}} and Luckhurst resumed all his duties as principal of the college and associate pro-vice-chancellor,{{cite news |last=Rossiter |first=Joe |date=11 February 2022 |title=Students avoid formal as South Principal returns to duties |url=https://www.palatinate.org.uk/students-avoid-formal-as-south-principal-returns-to-duties/ |access-date=14 May 2022 |website=Palatinate |language=en-GB}} but for confidentiality reasons the report was unpublished.{{cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/durham-university-hushes-up-report-in-rod-liddle-row-f7s30nk75|title=Durham University hushes up report in Rod Liddle row|last=Ball|first=Tom|date=27 January 2022|work=The Times|url-access=subscription}} The Times controversially claimed the shift to calling for Luckhurst's resignation was understood to have taken place after his wife, Dorothy, branded students "a bunch of inadequates".

In May 2022, the Durham University student newspaper, Palatinate published an article "Has the South College Formal fiasco been rewritten?" Noting numerous accusations that Luckhurst had established and edited his own Wikipedia page favourably on a longstanding basis under the username Gutterbluid. It reported Gutterbluid had received a Conflict of Interest Notice from Wikipedia. The article noted that free speech arguments used to defend Liddle's formal dinner speech ironically contrasted with repeated ongoing deletion of all controversies on Luckhurst's Wikipedia profile. Luckhurst declined to comment on the article.{{cite web|last1=Wilkinson |first1=Max |last2=Montgomery |first2=Olivia |date=13 May 2022 |title=Has the South College Formal fiasco been rewritten? |url=https://www.palatinate.org.uk/has-the-south-college-formal-fiasco-been-rewritten/ |access-date=14 May 2022 |website=Palatinate |language=en-GB}}

In July 2022, Luckhurst agreed with former BBC Scotland lawyer Alistair Bonnington's claim that the corporation was "slavishly biased in favour of the Scottish National Party (SNP) who now form the devolved Holyrood government."{{cite news|url=https://www.thenational.scot/news/20284151.bbc-scotland-accused-slavish-reverential-bias-towards-snp/|title=BBC Scotland accused of 'slavish and reverential' bias towards SNP|last=Richards|first=Xander|date=16 July 2022|work=The National|accessdate=18 July 2022|url-access=subscription}} Luckhurst told the Daily Mail that he thought the BBC was "under extreme pressure to do as the SNP wishes". He also claimed that "many of the BBC's young journalists appear to have nationalist sympathies", and called Bonnington "astute and brave [for identifying] a flaw that others have detected but chosen not to name". A BBC spokesman said "We responded comprehensively at the time to (Bonnington's) correspondence, fully rebutting the claims and standing by our journalism."{{cite news |last=Borland |first=Ben |date=16 July 2022 |title=BBC Scotland 'slavishly biased' to the SNP as former lawyer lodges complaint |url=https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/bbc-scotland-slavisly-biased-snp-27497155 |access-date=18 July 2022 |website=Scottish Daily Express |language=en}}

In 1989, Luckhurst married Dorothy Williamson, who stood as the Conservative Party candidate in Blaydon in the 2005 general election, having been on the Conservative A-List.{{Cite web |date=15 October 2011 |title=Electoral Calculus – 2005 |url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2005ob.txt |access-date=2022-04-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015054249/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2005ob.txt |archive-date=15 October 2011 }}{{Cite web |title=Who is on the A-list? |url=https://conservativehome.blogs.com/goldlist/2006/05/as_promised_thi.html |access-date=2022-04-13 |website=ConservativeHome's Seats & Candidates blog}}

The couple have four children; three daughters and one son. One of their daughters, Phoebe, is an author and current features editor at the Evening Standard.{{cite tweet|first=Dorothy|last=Luckhurst|title=Please stock Phoebe Luckhurst's 'The Lock In'. It's very funny and clever and she is my daughter!|user=luckhurstdot|number=1413928922429988868|access-date=13 April 2022|language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Phoebe Luckhurst |url=https://www.phoebeluckhurst.com/ |access-date=2022-04-13 |website=Phoebe Luckhurst |language=en-US}}

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Category:Living people

Category:Academics of the University of Kent

Category:People educated at Peebles High School, Peeblesshire

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Category:Scottish Labour parliamentary candidates

Category:1963 births

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