Jo Andrews

Jo Andrews is a former British television journalist who worked as a senior political correspondent for ITN during the 1990s and 2000s, and later as a director of the Ruben and Elisabeth Rausing Trust.

Career

Her career in journalism began at the Esher News and Mail in Surrey where she worked as a general reporter. After joining the BBC as a trainee journalist, she worked for BBC radio, before later moving to Independent Radio News.^[1] She joined ITN in 1985, where she initially worked as a general reporter before becoming a political correspondent for the network in 1990. She left ITN in 1993, moving to New Zealand where she established a news agency, but returned to ITN again in 1997. She was appointed as senior political correspondent in 1999, and was the first woman to join press conferences held by the Labour Party during the run-up to the 2001 general election. Later in 2001 she also interviewed then British Prime Minister Tony Blair in Brussels in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks.^[2]

In September 2002 Andrews announced that she would be leaving ITN to become a director of the Rausing Trust,^[2] a charitable trust that donates money to groups including human rights organisations and women's groups.^[3] Her decision to leave the broadcaster came shortly after that of its Political Editor, John Sergeant.^[2] Andrews did not comment on her departure, but The Independent on Sunday reported at the time that she was believed to be unhappy that she had been overlooked for Sergeant's job in favour of the then Washington correspondent, James Mates.^[4] Andrews left ITN in December 2002.^[5]

She is now the Director of the Ariadne Trust.^[6]

References