Career
Recent activities:
Paul has written extensively for the Independent on Sunday especially on the intelligence side of the ‘war on terror’. Also writes from time to time for other newspapers including The Guardian and The Evening Standard.
Specialist areas include: terrorism, intelligence, organised crime, offshore crime, business fraud and the Cold War.
Often interviewed on radio about these and other subjects.
A journalism educator and a staff member Brunel University.
An adviser to the Centre for Investigative Journalism at City University.
Steering committee member of the Wessex Media Group (2005-2009).
Trustee of the Bridport Arts Centre. (2005-2010)
Current areas of interest:
I watch the political intervention into the policing of organised crime most notably the rise and fall of the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA).
Areas of continuing interest: Organised crime, Flying Squad, Customs, the history of crime, drug smuggling, gun crime, armed robbery including Brinks Mat, Security Express, supergrasses and informers, gangs and gangsters, asset seizure and VAT fraud.
Business fraud including offshore fraud, taxation fraud and ponzi schemes.
Cold War including spyflights, Curtis LeMay, Cold War propaganda, IRD, MI6, MI5, GCHQ, Echelon and the Spycatcher case,
Other subjects: Mark Thatcher, BAe and Equatorial Guinea coup and journalism training.
Career history:
Extensive print, TV and radio experience especially in investigative journalism.
Ex-staff on The Independent, World in Action and The Observer
Joined The Observer newspaper in June 1978.
Extensive broadcast experience and for three years on staff of Granada's late lamented World in Action.
Produced a number of programmes for BBC’s Timewatch and Channel 4’s Dispatches series.
Author of three books. Built up considerable knowledge of spyflight operations through three BBC Timewatch TV programmes, a book and articles.
UK Press Awards "Reporter of the Year" in 1986.
Skills:
In the print media, considerable experience of news reporting, feature writing, analysis and magazine writing.
Reputation as a investigative journalist and thus often at the forefront of news practice. It has, for instance, required a sophisticated and up-to-date understanding of media related law.
Experienced broadcast journalist and television producer and has worked across a wide range of programmes as a reporter, sometimes on screen.
As a producer used to managing television production teams often under pressure and tight deadlines.
Primarily a domestic reporter and has reported on difficult and demanding stories from countries including: Brazil, Cameroon, China, Equatorial Guinea, Haiti, Israel (West Bank), Italy, Panama, Russia, Taiwan, and the United States.
Was an interviewee on the Kubrick biography released on film: Stanley Kubrick: A Life in pictures. Warner Brothers. 2001. I spoke of the prescience and accuracy of Kubrick's portrayal of American the Cold War nuclear generals in the film.
Previous employment:
June 98 – May 01: Staff investigative writer for The Independent responsible for numerous news stories, investigations, features and analysis pieces.
Jan 93 - June 98: Freelance TV Producer & Print Journalist
Sept 95 - June 98 Development Coordinator for Brook Lapping Productions - a leading Independent TV Production Company. When not producing TV investigations, retained to develop ideas, both others, and mine for television.
Other freelance work:
From January 1993 – June 1998 also worked for Spitting Image, World in Action and with Duncan Campbell on "The Hill" (Oct. 93) an investigation into the Menwith Hill spybase for C4's Dispatches programme.
Has written for The Washington Post, The Evening Standard, The Daily Telegraph, The Sunday Telegraph, The Times, The Independent Magazine, The Independent on Sunday, The Observer, The Times, Esquire, Miami Herald, Harpers, Africa Confidential, Africa Report (US), West Africa, Virgin Inflight Magazine, Private Eye, UK Press Gazette, British Journalism Review, Rough Guides, New Statesman, History Today, BBC History magazine, Aeroplane Monthly, UNESCO, ESRC website and broadcast for BBC Radio's "From Our Own Correspondent".
Sept 89 - Dec 92:
Reporter, Granada TV's "World in Action" programme.
During that period made 12 programmes including "The Firm" - the investigation into the Queen's secret tax concessions, which initiated the debate over the Monarch's financial status. (The Queen agreed to pay income tax in Jan 93).
Other programmes include General Noriega's CIA links, Death Squad killings of Brazil's street children, and landlords who abuse social security claimants.
June 78 - Sept 89: Investigative journalist, The Observer newspaper. During my last eight years at The Observer, David Leigh and I formed the paper's investigative team and produced a long series of exclusive stories.
In 1986 we received the UK Press Awards "Reporter of the Year" title primarily for revealing the MI5's political vetting of BBC staff. Other significant stories included: Mark Thatcher secret lobbying in Oman; The Stalker Affair; Scotland Yard corruption; Nuclear Test veteran deaths; Arms to South Africa; MP, John Browne's secret business interests; The Economic League's secret blacklist.
David Leigh and I wrote the original story of the Spycatcher allegations (1986) that was injuncted by the British Government.
In 1991 we won our case against the Government in the European Court of Human Rights.
Paul separately broke many other exclusive stories including: The West Midlands Serious Crime Squad (1988), Racism in the Army (1986), extreme right-wing infiltration in the Conservative Party (1983), Boeing jet manufacture faults (1989).
Music journalism: Has written many music articles and reviews.
Music Journalism: As well as jazz, blues and rock including Eric Clapton, Bruce Springsteen, Deep Purple, AC/DC, Kinks, Willie Nelson, Loose Tubes.
First mainstream media article on Gilles Peterson. (1985)
I was one of the first writers to cover the embryonic World Music scene. (1985-)
Wrote the first mainstream media articles on Salif Keita, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, S.E.Rogie, Baaba Maal, Orchestra Reve and Mahlathini. I have written on music for The Observer, The Independent, Esquire, Folk Roots, Straight No Chaser and Global Beat magazine. In the 1980s wrote about a number of music trips to countries including Cuba, the United States and Panama and to Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Barbados and Haiti. I also wrote the first mainstream media articles about the new Acid House scene in 1987.
Paul has written extensively for the Independent on Sunday especially on the intelligence side of the ‘war on terror’. Also writes from time to time for other newspapers including The Guardian and The Evening Standard.
Specialist areas include: terrorism, intelligence, organised crime, offshore crime, business fraud and the Cold War.
Often interviewed on radio about these and other subjects.
A journalism educator and a staff member Brunel University.
An adviser to the Centre for Investigative Journalism at City University.
Steering committee member of the Wessex Media Group (2005-2009).Trustee of the Bridport Arts Centre. (2005-2010)
Current areas of interest:
I watch the political intervention into the policing of organised crime most notably the rise and fall of the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA).
Areas of continuing interest: Organised crime, Flying Squad, Customs, the history of crime, drug smuggling, gun crime, armed robbery including Brinks Mat, Security Express, supergrasses and informers, gangs and gangsters, asset seizure and VAT fraud.
Business fraud including offshore fraud, taxation fraud and ponzi schemes.
Cold War including spyflights, Curtis LeMay, Cold War propaganda, IRD, MI6, MI5, GCHQ, Echelon and the Spycatcher case,
Other subjects: Mark Thatcher, BAe and Equatorial Guinea coup and journalism training.
Career history:
Extensive print, TV and radio experience especially in investigative journalism.
Ex-staff on The Independent, World in Action and The Observer
Joined The Observer newspaper in June 1978.
Extensive broadcast experience and for three years on staff of Granada's late lamented World in Action.
Produced a number of programmes for BBC’s Timewatch and Channel 4’s Dispatches series.
Author of three books. Built up considerable knowledge of spyflight operations through three BBC Timewatch TV programmes, a book and articles.
UK Press Awards "Reporter of the Year" in 1986.
Skills:
In the print media, considerable experience of news reporting, feature writing, analysis and magazine writing.
Reputation as a investigative journalist and thus often at the forefront of news practice. It has, for instance, required a sophisticated and up-to-date understanding of media related law.
Experienced broadcast journalist and television producer and has worked across a wide range of programmes as a reporter, sometimes on screen.
As a producer used to managing television production teams often under pressure and tight deadlines.
Primarily a domestic reporter and has reported on difficult and demanding stories from countries including: Brazil, Cameroon, China, Equatorial Guinea, Haiti, Israel (West Bank), Italy, Panama, Russia, Taiwan, and the United States.
Was an interviewee on the Kubrick biography released on film: Stanley Kubrick: A Life in pictures. Warner Brothers. 2001. I spoke of the prescience and accuracy of Kubrick's portrayal of American the Cold War nuclear generals in the film.Previous employment:
June 98 – May 01: Staff investigative writer for The Independent responsible for numerous news stories, investigations, features and analysis pieces.
Jan 93 - June 98: Freelance TV Producer & Print Journalist
Sept 95 - June 98 Development Coordinator for Brook Lapping Productions - a leading Independent TV Production Company. When not producing TV investigations, retained to develop ideas, both others, and mine for television.
Other freelance work:
From January 1993 – June 1998 also worked for Spitting Image, World in Action and with Duncan Campbell on "The Hill" (Oct. 93) an investigation into the Menwith Hill spybase for C4's Dispatches programme.
Has written for The Washington Post, The Evening Standard, The Daily Telegraph, The Sunday Telegraph, The Times, The Independent Magazine, The Independent on Sunday, The Observer, The Times, Esquire, Miami Herald, Harpers, Africa Confidential, Africa Report (US), West Africa, Virgin Inflight Magazine, Private Eye, UK Press Gazette, British Journalism Review, Rough Guides, New Statesman, History Today, BBC History magazine, Aeroplane Monthly, UNESCO, ESRC website and broadcast for BBC Radio's "From Our Own Correspondent".
Sept 89 - Dec 92:
Reporter, Granada TV's "World in Action" programme.
During that period made 12 programmes including "The Firm" - the investigation into the Queen's secret tax concessions, which initiated the debate over the Monarch's financial status. (The Queen agreed to pay income tax in Jan 93).
Other programmes include General Noriega's CIA links, Death Squad killings of Brazil's street children, and landlords who abuse social security claimants.
June 78 - Sept 89: Investigative journalist, The Observer newspaper. During my last eight years at The Observer, David Leigh and I formed the paper's investigative team and produced a long series of exclusive stories.
In 1986 we received the UK Press Awards "Reporter of the Year" title primarily for revealing the MI5's political vetting of BBC staff. Other significant stories included: Mark Thatcher secret lobbying in Oman; The Stalker Affair; Scotland Yard corruption; Nuclear Test veteran deaths; Arms to South Africa; MP, John Browne's secret business interests; The Economic League's secret blacklist.David Leigh and I wrote the original story of the Spycatcher allegations (1986) that was injuncted by the British Government.In 1991 we won our case against the Government in the European Court of Human Rights.
Paul separately broke many other exclusive stories including: The West Midlands Serious Crime Squad (1988), Racism in the Army (1986), extreme right-wing infiltration in the Conservative Party (1983), Boeing jet manufacture faults (1989).
Music journalism: Has written many music articles and reviews.
Music Journalism: As well as jazz, blues and rock including Eric Clapton, Bruce Springsteen, Deep Purple, AC/DC, Kinks, Willie Nelson, Loose Tubes.
First mainstream media article on Gilles Peterson. (1985)
I was one of the first writers to cover the embryonic World Music scene. (1985-)
Wrote the first mainstream media articles on Salif Keita, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, S.E.Rogie, Baaba Maal, Orchestra Reve and Mahlathini. I have written on music for The Observer, The Independent, Esquire, Folk Roots, Straight No Chaser and Global Beat magazine. In the 1980s wrote about a number of music trips to countries including Cuba, the United States and Panama and to Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Barbados and Haiti. I also wrote the first mainstream media articles about the new Acid House scene in 1987.
