David Leigh, United Kingdom, is on the board of UK press regulator IMPRESS (Independent Monitor for the Press).

He was professor of reporting at London's City University, where he taught investigative journalism. He retired as investigations editor for The Guardian newspaper in 2013.

Leigh was also a producer for World in Action, a prominent British TV investigative program. He oversaw publication of the WikiLeaks diplomatic cables, helped expose toxic waste dumpers Trafigura, revealed £1 billion paid to Saudi Prince Bandar by arms company BAE, exposed secret payments to the UK prime minister’s son, Mark Thatcher, and revealed MI5 vetting of the BBC’s journalists.

His 1995 documentary led to the jailing of British government minister Jonathan Aitken for perjury. Aitken had benefited from bribes over Saudi arms deals. Leigh reported on-camera for This Week, another major British TV news program, and directed investigations at The Observer from 1981 to 1989. He won Granada TV’s 1985 Investigative Reporter of the Year Award and three British Press Awards for campaigning journalism. He won another British Press Award in 1997 as a member of the team that exposed trade minister Neil Hamilton for taking bribes.

Leigh's 10 books include "The Liar: The Fall of Jonathan Aitken", which was nominated for the 1997 George Orwell Memorial Fund book Prize, "WikiLeaks: Inside Julian Assange's War on Secrecy" and "Investigative Journalism: a survival guide".

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'Be Prepared To Be Disliked'

The Guardian's investigations editor lists the essential skills to get a journalism job, and the most important lesson he's learned over the years.

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  • Stories by David Leigh

‘Be Prepared To Be Disliked’

The Guardian's investigations editor lists the essential skills to get a journalism job, and the most important lesson he's learned over the years.

Dec 18, 2012