Sarah Rainsford Explained

Nationality:British
Alma Mater:Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge
Occupation:Journalist
Known For:BBC's Russia correspondent

Sarah Elizabeth Rainsford[1] is a BBC foreign correspondent who has reported from Russia, Ukraine, Spain, Turkey, Cuba, Afghanistan and Iraq while working for the BBC since 1999.[2] [3]

Early life and education

Rainsford attended secondary school in the Midlands and then graduated with a degree in languages, specialising in Russian and French, from Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge. As part of her studies, she spent a year abroad in Saint Petersburg.[4]

Expulsion from Russia

Rainsford was informed by the Russian government in mid-August 2021 that her visa would not be renewed, in effect expelling her as part of retaliatory actions between the United Kingdom and Russia over news coverage.[5] [6] [7] [8]

Tim Davie, the Director-General of the BBC, stated that "the expulsion of Sarah Rainsford is a direct assault on media freedom which we condemn unreservedly. Sarah is an exceptional and fearless journalist. She is a fluent Russian speaker who provides independent and in-depth reporting of Russia and the former Soviet Union.... We urge the Russian authorities to reconsider their decision. In the meantime, we will continue to report events in the region independently and impartially."[9]

In 2024, Rainsford published an account of her journalistic work in Russia, Goodbye to Russia: A Personal Reckoning from the Ruins of War.[10]

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Expelled: Russia, repression and me . 11 October 2021 . BBC . 11 October 2021.
  2. Web site: Sarah Rainsford . . 15 August 2021.
  3. News: A month in Ukraine: 'All normal life is gone'. BBC News. Sarah. Rainsford. 23 March 2022. 4 May 2022.
  4. Web site: Russia connection excites Sarah . Fitzwilliam College . 13 August 2021 . 2019.
  5. News: Parfitt . Tom . Sarah Rainsford: Russia to expel BBC correspondent . 13 August 2021 . The Times . 13 August 2021.
  6. News: Keating . Matt . How to be ... Sarah Rainsford . 13 August 2021 . Guardian . 15 January 2006.
  7. News: Osborn . Andrew . Russia tells BBC journalist to go home in row with Britain – state TV . 13 August 2021 . . Yahoo! News . 13 August 2021.
  8. News: Meyer . Henry . Russia to Expel BBC Reporter This Month Amid Simmering Tensions . 13 August 2021 . Bloomberg . 13 August 2021.
  9. News: BBC condemns Russia's decision to not renew correspondent's visa . 15 August 2021 . BBC . 14 August 2021.
  10. https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/goodbye-to-russia-9781526670366/