JOURNALISM
Stuart is one of the BBC’s most experienced and respected foreign news producers.
Stuart began his career at BBC Wales in his hometown of Cardiff.
For more than two decades he has covered major news events in more than 60 countries, working alongside many of the best known names in broadcast journalism.
His assignments have included the 9/11 attacks on the US, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Arab Uprisings, the death of Nelson Mandela, the Syrian civil war, the migrant crisis and, most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic.
While reporting from Iraq in 2003, Stuart was critically injured when he stepped on an anti-personnel landmine, which led to the amputation of his lower leg. The cameraman he was working with, Kaveh Golestan, was killed in the incident. After learning to walk again, Stuart resumed his career using a state-of-the-art prosthesis.
This life-changing event has given Stuart a particular interest in reporting on the long-term cost of war on civilians and combatants.
Stuart works to raise awareness of the physical safety issues faced by journalists operating in war zones and the potential psychological toll of reporting conflict.
He is a member of the advisory committee of the Rory Peck Trust, the only charity in the world dedicated to improving the safety and welfare of freelance news gatherers and their families.
Stuart Hughes is a Visiting Fellow at Bournemouth University’s Faculty of Media and Communication. He is also an Ochberg Fellow at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York and a Kiplinger Fellow in Public Affairs Journalism in Columbus, Ohio.
SPEAKING AND LECTURING
Moderating a question and answer session or leading a panel discussion demands authority, skill and a comprehensive understanding of the issues. Stuart is an experienced, informed and entertaining public speaker and lecturer.
He has shared his expertise with government departments, major corporations, universities and NGOs.
As a lecturer, he brings first-hand insights gained from a long and award-winning career in foreign news to the next generation of broadcast journalists.
He has delivered lectures at a range of leading universities, including the University of Oxford, the London School of Economics, the University of Hong Kong, Cardiff University and City University.
Stuart began his career editing radio interviews on quarter-inch tape with a razor blade and chinagraph pencil. Today, he files his reports from the most remote and difficult corners of the globe using the latest digital and satellite technology. As a result, he is able to explain the rapid changes that are fundamentally reshaping the news business.
As a conference moderator, Stuart has brought his first-class interviewing skills and understanding of world affairs to events hosted by, amongst others, the House of Commons, the Frontline Club in London, the International Journalism Festival in Perugia, the Royal College of Physicians, Open City Documentary Festival, the Royal Commonwealth Society and the British Red Cross.
As a result of the life-changing injury he sustained while working as a journalist in Iraq, Stuart is able to speak passionately about the physical and psychological toll of reporting from hostile environments and the devastating impact that explosive remnants of war have on communities around the world. He regularly shares his inspiring story in support of a number of humanitarian charities. He is a Patron of the Mines Advisory Group and an Ambassador for the Sir Bobby Charlton Foundation.