Mark Hannaby

Mark teaches across BA and MA degree programmes in journalism (incorporating single and combined honours journalism, sports journalism and music journalism). He spent a long career in broadcast journalism, including ten years as a politics reporter for BBC Wales' television, radio and online news services. He began his career reporting on the Leader newspaper in Wrexham and Chester. He was previously a Senior Lecturer in multimedia journalism at Canterbury Christ Church University.

Mark enjoys passing on what he learned in a long broadcast journalism career to the multimedia journalists and presenters of tomorrow.

During much of his ten year BBC News and Current Affairs career Mark was based at Cardiff covering politics for television, radio and online outlets, often all on the same day, and often filming and editing his own material. He worked on programmes such as Wales Today, Good Morning Wales, Good Evening Wales, The Jason Mohammad Show, Dragon’s Eye, and The Politics Show.

He has interviewed former Prime Minister David Cameron (twice), his predecessor Gordon Brown (once), and various First Ministers of Wales (countless times).  Other notable interviewees he verbally sparred with include Nick Clegg, both Miliband brothers, Nigel Farage, Michael Portillo, John Prescott, Ann Widdecombe and the late Charles Kennedy.

Mark has been a live reporter at BBC General Election and Welsh Assembly election programmes on many occasions. He once successfully broadcast multiple live radio reports from outside a Labour party special conference from which all media were barred. A trusted politician contact inside the hall kindly texted him information on proceedings.

He also spent a very interesting few weeks ‘on loan’ covering sport for BBC North West Tonight from Salford’s Media City during the London Olympics.

Earlier in his career Mark worked for ITV Wales news, and before that as a reporter for North Wales Newspapers on The Leader newspaper in both his hometown Wrexham and in Chester. Beyond the world of politics his most notable interviewees have ranged from Iron Maiden lead singer Bruce Dickinson to television personality Jordan.

He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.