Tom Hopkinson, editor of Picture Post
Great Lives
BBC
4.2 • 1.3K Ratings
🗓️ 12 April 2022
⏱️ 29 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
What does it take to be a great news editor? Tom Hopkinson was sacked by the proprietor of Picture Post for trying to run a true story during the 1950 Korean War. Later he also sent a photographer - Ian Berry - to cover the Sharpeville Massacre in South Africa for Drum .... in time he fell out with the proprietor of that magazine as well. "To affect the world you've got to get into a position to affect it," he said, "and that means you've got to be very patient and fight your way in."
Nominating Tom Hopkinson is Donald Macintyre, former correspondent in the Middle East and one of the very first students on the Cardiff journalism course Tom Hopkinson set up. Also in studio is his daughter, Professor Amanda Hopkinson.
The presenter is Matthew Parris and the producer is Miles Warde
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Before you listen to this BBC podcast, I'd like to tell you why I love podcasting. |
| 0:04.5 | I'm Sasha Johansson, I'm an Assistant Commissioner for the BBC and I work on making podcasts. |
| 0:11.1 | My real passion is discovering unbelievable unheard stories and working with the biggest |
| 0:16.9 | stars who can really bring those stories to life. |
| 0:20.1 | I love the whole process of making podcasts from the spark of an idea to hearing the final |
| 0:26.0 | edit. |
| 0:27.0 | There's nothing like it. |
| 0:28.0 | What makes BBC podcast special is that we're working for you, so whatever we commission |
| 0:32.6 | has to reflect the things that you care about and love, wherever you are in the UK. |
| 0:37.0 | So if you like this BBC podcast, there's so much more to discover. |
| 0:40.6 | Have a listen on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:42.1 | BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, Podcasts. |
| 0:48.1 | 42 years ago on the 21st of March 1960, a crowd of protesters gathered outside a police |
| 0:54.5 | station in what was then known as the Transvile. |
| 0:58.3 | Their object to protest against the past laws, a key feature of apartheid in South Africa. |
| 1:04.8 | They were going to organise a mass burning of passes, you know, every black male has |
| 1:10.7 | to carry a pass, and they regarded these passes as badges of servitude, and they said on |
| 1:16.2 | a given day, we were all going to burn them. |
| 1:18.8 | And we had come into the office very early in the morning, six o'clock. |
| 1:23.8 | And we were waiting there to get any message as to where to go, what was happening. |
| 1:29.2 | Phone went and an African voice said, it's sharp film. |
| 1:34.2 | That was the voice of today's great life, a man who edited picture post of which, more |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from BBC, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of BBC and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.