Jerome Starkey

Jerome Starkey is a prominent English journalist, broadcaster, and author, known for his extensive coverage of conflicts and environmental issues. Born in 1981 in London, he has built a career that includes significant roles at major publications, particularly The Times and The Sun.

Career Highlights

• Early Career: Starkey began his journalism career as a graduate trainee at The Sun in 2003. He quickly moved into foreign reporting, serving as an Afghanistan correspondent from 2007 to 2012. During this time, he gained recognition for his investigative reporting on civilian casualties caused by military operations.34

• Countryside Correspondent: From January 2017 to May 2019, Starkey served as the Countryside Correspondent for The Times. In this role, he focused on rural issues in the UK, bringing attention to topics such as agriculture and environmental concerns.135

• Africa Correspondent: Prior to his role as Countryside Correspondent, Starkey was the Africa Correspondent for The Times from 2012 to 2017. He reported on various critical issues in the region, including state-sponsored corruption and human rights violations, which led to his deportation from Kenya in 2017 due to his investigative work.34

• Defence Editor at The Sun: Since June 2020, Starkey has been the Defence Editor at The Sun, where he continues to cover military affairs and conflicts. His reporting during the ongoing war in Ukraine has earned him multiple accolades, including the News Reporter of the Year award at the Press Awards in 2023 for his courageous frontline reporting.123

Awards and Recognition

Starkey has received several prestigious awards throughout his career:

• Frontline Club Award (2010) for his work in Afghanistan.
• Kurt Schork Memorial Award (2011) for reporting on conflicts in Libya and Afghanistan.
• Multimedia Journalist of the Year (2022) for his coverage of Ukraine.
• News Reporter of the Year (2023) for outstanding reporting during the Ukrainian conflict.123

Personal Background

Starkey attended Stowe School on an academic scholarship and later graduated from Newcastle University with a degree in English literature. His early experiences in journalism included writing propaganda for NATO's International Security Assistance Force during his time in Afghanistan.3

Jerome Starkey's career reflects a commitment to uncovering truths in challenging environments, making him a notable figure in contemporary journalism.