# Jolyon Jenkins

Jolyon Jenkins is a British investigative journalist and radio documentary producer known for his work with BBC Radio 4. Over a career spanning several decades, he has researched, presented and produced numerous award-winning documentaries covering a diverse range of topics, from politics and technology to social issues and the environment.

## Career

Jenkins has been a long-standing contributor to BBC Radio 4 and BBC Television, researching, producing and presenting investigative programmes for series such as File on 4 and Out of the Ordinary. The Glasgow Herald described him as "the go-to guy for quirky subjects which require intelligence and chutzpah in equal measure", while the Radio Times has noted that "Jenkins makes some of the most original documentaries on Radio 4" and in the same publication, David Gillard noted "Whatever subject Jolyon Jenkins is dealing with I will listen ... I regard him one of our finest broadcasters". An academic has described how Jenkins "adopts a characteristic tone: the subject is tackled with indignation, modulated by a sense of almost mournful resignation." A review of an episode of Out of the Ordinary in the Church Times describes "the persona that Jenkins confects in these programmes: of a deadpan courtesy, accompanied by the faintest twinkle in the eye which only we — his knowing audience — can appreciate." Reviewing Apocalypse How, the same writer praised "the level of technical detail into which Jenkins was prepared to venture ... Even more admirable is his patience as his main witness ... relentlessly berates him for ignoring his evidence." In 2016 this reviewer also nominated Jenkins as his "presenter of the year" for his "exquisite balance of gravitas and eccentricity. The mockery is light, and the tone generally of concerned tolerance."
His documentaries include Bordering on Big Brother, for Channel 4's Dispatches series, which examined the risks associated with the misuse of personal data. Jenkins gave evidence (in the capacity of "Special Consultant" to Liberty) to the House of Lords Select Committee on the European Communities; in their resulting report, the committee stated "We were impressed by the examples supplied by Mr Jenkins of individuals who had suffered real harm from the inaccuracy or misuse of personal data".
Jenkins also produced multiple episodes of File on 4, including Kenyan Farmers, about the risks of pesticide poisoning to farmers growing produce for British supermarkets, Kenya, Whatever Happened to Democracy, The Liquidators, and an investigation on the risks of combustible cladding on the exterior of tower blocks, which prefigured the Grenfell Tower fire by nearly two decades. He presented and produced The Brixmis Story, which was described by Zoe Williams in The Guardian as "one of the best radio programmes I have heard" and which was nominated for a 2008 Radio Academy Award. He also co-developed and co-produced/presented, with Polly Weston, Radio 4's The Patch.

### Print career

In addition to his radio work, Jenkins was Deputy Editor of the New Statesman magazine.

### Television career

Jenkins has also worked in television, producing investigative documentaries. Of The Lost Race, an investigation of the British far right, The Sunday Telegraph stated it "exceeded all expectations" and The Independent described it as "mordantly hilarious". Jenkins also worked on the BBC documentary series Secret Society, which investigated issues of government secrecy, particularly the Zircon affair, a controversy surrounding a secret British spy satellite.

## Awards and recognition

Jenkins's work has also been praised in the British press. The Daily Telegraph's Gillian Reynolds has highlighted his journalism on multiple occasions, calling him a "shrewd observer of the offbeat", "a documentary maker with an acute sense of the dramatic", "omni-talented" and "a truly gifted radio reporter, writer, and producer". The Guardian described his approach as "a cross between poke-the-freaks Louis Theroux and get-the-info Eddie Mair".
He and his work have received multiple industry awards:
1994: One World Broadcast Trust Premier Award for Best Radio Programme (File on 4 – Kenya, Whatever Happened to Democracy).
1994: Television and Radio class winner in the Technology Journalist of the Year Awards for a File on 4 documentary on Safety Critical Software.
1995: Bronze in the Sony Radio Awards (News and Current Affairs category) for File on 4 – The Liquidators.
1996: Medical Journalists' Association "Medical journalist of the year: Broadcasting"
1997: One World Broadcast Trust for Best Radio Programme (File on 4 – Kenyan Farmers).
1997: Best Radio Feature in The British Environment and Media Awards for File on 4 – Hormone Disrupters.
2002: Medical Journalists' Association "Medical journalist of the year: Broadcasting" for File on 4 - Medical Mistakes
2008: Nominated for Best Feature Award in the Sony Radio Academy Awards for "The Brixmis Story"
2010: Nominated for Best News Special in Sony Radio Academy Awards for "Hacked to Pieces"