The BBC has announced that it has hired its first LGBT+ Correspondent for its news service.
Ben Hunte has been appointed the BBC’s first LGBT+ correspondent for BBC News, a role which he’ll start in the New Year.
This newly created role will report on the stories, issues and debates surrounding sexuality and gender and focus on providing insight and analysis on matters affecting the LGBT community in the UK.
Ben played a key part during the coverage of the BBC’s Gay Britannia season and presented his own series of LGBT-themed programmes on BBC Radio 4 and 4 Extra called “The Ben Hunte Interviews”. He interviewed a range of high profile guests including Paul O’Grady and Stephen K Amos. This year Ben also became the presenter of BBC What’s New?, the BBC’s first TV programme and digital service for children in Africa.
Ben Hunte said, “I’m delighted to be taking on this important new role for BBC News and I am looking forward to finding and telling stories from the LGBT community.”
Richard Burgess, UK News Editor for BBC News, said, “BBC News has a rich heritage of covering issues and debates from the LGBT community. This year we announced our first gender and identity correspondent, Megha Mohan, and I’m thrilled that Ben will be taking up this dedicated role which aims to strengthen our offering of LGBT stories and original journalism across the BBC”.
Ben Hunte graduated from the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus with a degree in Neuroscience, before studying TV Journalism at City University of London.
The BBC isn’t the first mainstream news company to hire a specific LGBT+ correspondent for their coverage. In 2017 the Evening Standard hired Amy Ashenden, but the role was short lived and Amy moved to PinkNews.
