John Ware (TV journalist)

John Ware is a British journalist, author, and investigative reporter. He was a reporter on the BBC public affairs documentary programme Panorama from 1986 to 2012. He joined Panorama as a reporter after working at the Worcester Evening News and Droitwich Guardian. Earlier, he was at The Sun in Belfast from 1974 to 1977 and then a researcher on Granada/ITV's World in Action, becoming a producer in 1981. He also presented BBC's Rough Justice, Taking Liberties and Inside Story. Several of the cases profiled in the show were referred back to the Court of Appeal and several resulted in overturned convictions. Ware has covered Northern Ireland since 1974.

Ware has also written for the Sunday Telegraph, Sunday Times, Guardian, Jewish Chronicle and Standpoint magazine.

Education

Ware was educated at Hurstpierpoint College, a boarding independent school for boys (now co-educational), near the village of Hurstpierpoint in West Sussex. He did not go to university.

Career

According to the BBC, some of Ware's accomplishments while employed by the broadcaster include:

• 1984, filming two Scotland Yard Flying Squad officers in the act of setting up an armed robbery and his evidence led to their trial at the Old Bailey.
• 1989, uncovering evidence that led first to the District Auditor and then the High Court to accuse Dame Shirley Porter of "gerrymandering" by attempting to rig the Westminster City Council's elections.
• 1990, discovering an attempt by paratroopers in Belfast to cover up the unlawful shooting of joyriders. However the murder conviction of the paratrooper, Lee Clegg, for this incident was ultimately quashed on appeal.
• 1996, reporting on human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia and how the Sharia courts sent an innocent young man to his death by public beheading.
• 1997, discovering papers belonging to the Deputy Prime Minister showing that despite elections promises to the contrary, the new Labour government planned to privatise the London Underground within two months of taking office.
• 1998, unearthing evidence showing that Deborah Parry, one of the two "Saudi Nurses" was innocent of murdering Yvonne Gilford in 1996.
• 1998, securing evidence of secret price fixing deals between car dealers and three leading motor manufacturers, including Volvo which led to the Director General of Fair Trading John Bridgeman to accuse the Swedish car giant of "disgraceful" conduct, while pointing out that under the government's proposed new competition laws, the company could have been fined £70m.
• 2000, reporting that in contravention of New Labour's strict contest rules, the party's General Secretary and her senior officials were responsible for leaking a confidential list of London party members to Downing Street's London Mayoral candidate Frank Dobson giving him an unfair advantage over rival candidate Ken Livingstone.

In 2012, Ware took voluntary redundancy from the BBC, but has continued with some freelance work. Since leaving the BBC, he has published articles about its top management.

Personal life

Ware was married, having children including the actress Hannah Ware and singer-songwriter Jessie Ware. Ware now lives in north London with his partner the BBC executive Wendy Robbins and three children.

Awards

• Broadcast Journalist of the year – 2001 at the RTS Journalism Awards for "Who Bombed Omagh?" and "Spin Doctors", an investigation into the turthfulness of government claims about National Health Service spending and new initiatives.
• Current Affairs Home Award – 1983/1987

Book

Ware is co-author of Mengele, the complete story, 1986.

External links

• BBC biography
• Interview in The Guardian
• John Ware on Journalisted