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Jolyon Jenkins is a British investigative journalist and radio documentary producer known for his work with BBC Radio 4. Over a career spanning several decades, he has produced and presented numerous award-winning documentaries covering a diverse range of topics, from politics and technology to social issues and the environment.
Jenkins has been a long-standing contributor to BBC Radio 4 and BBC Television, producing and presenting investigative programmes for strands such as File on 4 [1] and Out of the Ordinary. [2] The Glasgow Herald described him as "the go-to guy for quirky subjects which require intelligence and chutzpah in equal measure", [3] while the Radio Times has noted that "Jenkins makes some of the most original documentaries on Radio 4" [4] and in the same publication, David Gillard noted "Whatever subject Jolyon Jenkins is dealing with I will listen ... I regard him one of our finest broadcasters" [5]
His notable documentaries include Bordering on Big Brother, [6] [7] , for Channel 4's Dispatches series, which examined the risks associated with the misuse of personal data. Subsequently Jenkins gave evidence (in the capacity of "Special Consultant" to Liberty) to the House of Lords Select Committee on the European Communities [8] ; in their resulting report, the committee stated "We were impressed by the examples supplied by Mr Jenkins of individuals who had suffered real harm from the inaccuracy or misuse of personal data" [9]
Jenkins also produced multiple episodes of File on 4, including Kenyan Farmers, about the risks of pesticide poisoning to farmers growing produce for British supermarkets,, [10] Kenya, Whatever Happened to Democracy, [11] The Liquidators, [12] and an investigation on the risks of combustible cladding on the exterior of tower blocks, which prefigured the Grenfell Tower fire by nearly two decades. [13] He presented and produced The Brixmis Story [14] , which was described by the Guardian as "one of the best radio programmes I have heard" [15] and which was nominated for a Radio Academy Award [16] . He also co-developed and co-produced/presented, with Polly Weston, Radio 4's The Patch. [17]
In addition to his radio work, Jenkins was Deputy Editor of the New Statesman magazine. [18]
Jenkins has also worked in television, producing investigative documentaries. The Lost Race, an investigation of the British far right, received widespread critical acclaim, with The Sunday Telegraph stating it "exceeded all expectations" [19] and The Independent describing it as "mordantly hilarious" [20] Jenkins also worked on the BBC documentary series Secret Society, which investigated issues of government secrecy, particularly the Zircon affair, a controversy surrounding a secret British spy satellite [21] [22]
Jenkins's work has also been widely praised in the British press. The Daily Telegraph's Gillian Reynolds has highlighted his journalism on multiple occasions, calling him a "shrewd observer of the offbeat", [23] "a documentary maker with an acute sense of the dramatic", [24] "omni-talented" [25] and "a truly gifted radio reporter, writer, and producer" [26] . The Guardian described his approach as "a cross between poke-the-freaks Louis Theroux and get-the-info Eddie Mair" [27]
His work has received multiple industry awards:
1994: One World Broadcast Trust Premier Award for Best Radio Programme (File on 4 – Kenya, Whatever Happened to Democracy). [28]
1994: Television and Radio class winner in the Technology Journalist of the Year Awards for a File on 4 documentary on Safety Critical Software. [29]
1995: Bronze in the Sony Radio Awards (News and Current Affairs category) for File on 4 – The Liquidators. [30] [31] This documentary is extensively discussed, including Jenkins's role, in the book Investigative Journalism [32]
1996: Medical journalists' association "Medical journalist of the year" in 1996 [33] [34]
1997: One World Broadcast Trust Award for Best Radio Programme (File on 4 – Kenyan Farmers).
1997: Best Radio Feature in the British Environment and Media Awards for File on 4 – Hormone Disrupters.
2002: Medical journalists' association "Medical journalist of the year" [35]
2008: Nominated for Best Feature Award in the Sony Radio Academy Awards for "The Brixmis Story" [16] [36]
2010: Nominated for Best News Special in Sony Radio Academy Awards for "Hacked to Pieces" [37] [38]