BBC News has announced its first LGBT correspondent.
The BBC has named Ben Hunte as the first man in this new position. They also shared that, starting in January, he will report on stories about sexuality and gender to help give insight into LGBT issues.
UK BBC News editor Richard Burgesss spoke on the announcement by saying the following:
"BBC News has a rich heritage of covering issues and debates from the LGBT community.”
“This year we announced our first gender and identity correspondent, Megha Mohan, and I'm thrilled that Ben will be taking up this dedicated role which aims to strengthen our offering of LGBT stories and original journalism across the BBC."
In response, Hunte said it was “a dream come true.”
He also added, “I'm delighted… and I am looking forward to finding and telling stories from the LGBT community."
Hunte, who has a Bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience and a Masters in Journalism, started his history with news reporting in 2017. Hunte was hired by BBC London TV News to work on documentaries for Radio 1 Newsbeat. Since then, he has worked consistently with tv news and radio as a journalist and interviewer.
Hunte helmed an Interview series, which aired on BBC Radio 4 and Radio 4 Extra, as a part of BBC’s 2017 Gay Britannia series. And currently, he’s presenting a tv program called “What’s New?” which is BBC’s first TV program and digital service for children in Africa.
Despite being targeted by homophobic trolls, Ben Hunte has continued to work in the news and also be open about his sexuality. With this recent announcement from BBC News, it looks like the past two years of hard work have paid off for him. Congratulations.
