Sima Kotecha

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Sima Kotecha
Born1980[citation needed]
Basingstoke, England
OccupationJournalist
Notable credit(s)Newsbeat
PM
Today programme

Sima Kotecha (born 1980, Basingstoke) is a British television and radio journalist working for the BBC. Since 9 December 2021, Kotecha has served as the UK editor of Newsnight.

Early years

Sima Kotecha was born in Basingstoke[1] to parents of Indian origin.[2] She was educated locally before attending Surrey University in Guildford and Goldsmiths College, University of London to study for a master's degree in media and communications.[3] Her first job was at BBC Radio Berkshire in 2003 and after that she took up an internship at the BBC's New York bureau. She worked for Talking Movies and BBC Radio 1's Newsbeat as their New York reporter[1] from 2005 to 2010, later working for the PM programme on Radio 4 and as a multimedia reporter for the same network's Today programme.

Career

In January 2017, she became the Midlands Correspondent of BBC News appearing regularly on television bulletins. She also presents the BBC One news bulletin at 8pm and has presented Radio 5 Live's Up All Night, 5 Live Breakfast and Drivetime and Newsday on the BBC World Service.

Kotecha has reported from Helmand Province in the conflict in Afghanistan while embedded with US Marines in Garmsiron for two weeks in December 2009.[3] She also covered the 2010 Haiti earthquake and the Syrian refugee crisis.[4] She also covered the 2008 US presidential election, and the Oscars on multiple occasions.

At work with her crew in May 2020, Kotecha was racially abused while reporting live in Leicester on the official COVID-19 guidelines.[4] The man accused of the crime, Russell Rawlingson, was due to stand trial at Leicester Crown Court on 21 April 2021, but pleaded guilty to a less serious alternative count of threatening behaviour - without the racial element - which was accepted by the prosecutor, Philip Plant, after Kotecha said she did not wish the case to go to trial.[5] Plant had liaised with Kotecha.[6]

On Friday 26th August 2022 Sima was the sole presenter on BBC Newsnight, a Programme on the very evening that huge energy price cap increases were announcing causing widespread fear and concern for many households.

References

  1. ^ a b "Reporter Profiles: Sima Kotecha". BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  2. ^ "Indian-origin BBC reporter Sima Kotecha faces racist abuse in UK". Business Standard India. Press Trust of India. 28 June 2016. Retrieved 5 February 2021 – via Business Standard.
  3. ^ a b Gregory, Chris (19 February 2020). "Local girl bringing you the latest global news". Basingstoke Gazette. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  4. ^ a b Simpson, Craig (12 May 2020). "Man denies racially abusing BBC journalist Sima Kotecha". The Telegraph. London. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  5. ^ "Man admits harassing BBC reporter Sima Kotecha". BBC News. 15 April 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  6. ^ Gibson, Suzy (13 April 2021). "Threatening' man stopped BBC live broadcast in Leicester city centre". Leicester Mercury. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
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