Martha Kearney Biography

Martha Catherine Kearney, a British-Irish journalist and broadcaster, is currently employed by the BBC and presents the early morning Today program. She has previously served as the primary presenter for BBC Radio 4’s lunchtime news program and as a reporter and correspondent.

Martha Kearney’s Age and Birthday

Kearney was born October 8, 1957, in Dublin, Ireland.

Martha Kearney’s Height and Weight

She is 1.5 meters tall and weighs 55 kilograms.

Martha Kearney’s educational background

Growing up, Kearney was immersed in an academic environment, as her father, historian Hugh Kearney, taught at multiple universities. Kearney’s educational background included St Joseph’s Catholic School in Sussex, Brighton and Hove High School, and George Watson’s Ladies College in Edinburgh. She later went on to study classics at St Anne’s College in Oxford, where she graduated in 1980.

Martha Kearney Family

Martha’s parents are Catherine Murphy (Kate) and Hugh Francis Kearney. Her father, a prominent British historian, was Amundson Professor Emeritus at the University of Pittsburgh. Kearney studied History at Peterhouse, Cambridge, in the 1940s. He met his wife, an undergraduate student at the time, while teaching at University College Dublin. Notably, he wrote the acclaimed book “The British Isles: A History of Four Nations.” Hugh Francis Kearney died on October 1, 2017. Martha grew raised with her two brothers, Jamie and Peter Kearney.

Martha Kearney’s Marriage and Children

Kearney is married to Chris Shaw, editorial director of ITN. Shaw formerly worked as a Senior Programme Controller for Channel Five, a Programme Editor for News at Ten, a Home and Foreign News Editor for Channel 4 News, and a Launch Editor for Big Breakfast News. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Television Society and the Director of the Edinburgh Television Festival. Shaw is also a frequent media pundit for major newspapers and television networks. The couple met at Oxford University and married in 2001.

Martha Kearney’s career

Kearney’s journalism career began with the London commercial radio station LBC and Independent Radio News, where she worked as a phone operator on phone-in programs before becoming a political correspondent, covering the 1987 general election. In 1988, she became a reporter for Channel 4’s A Week in Politics, and in 1990, she joined the BBC’s political show On the Record. Kearney has held a number of notable positions at the BBC, most notably being a regular presenter of BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour in 1998 and later becoming political editor for BBC Two’s Newsnight in 2000. Kearney’s contributions to Newsnight Review, as well as her candidacy for the BBC’s political editor position in 2005, highlight her influence in the sector. She has garnered acclaim for her journalistic efforts, including a BAFTA nomination for her coverage of the Northern Ireland peace process in 1998, the TRIC radio presenter of the year award in 2004, and a Sony bronze medal for a show tackling child poverty.

Kearney has pursued a variety of other interests in addition to her television career. This includes serving as a judge for prominent literary awards including the Baillie Gifford Prize. She also chaired the judging panel for the 2020 Baillie Gifford Prize. Kearney’s wide hobbies include beekeeping, which she has explored outside of her professional career, prompting her to deliver several BBC documentaries on bees and ecology. Kearney’s broadcasting career took another step forward in April 2018, when she became the primary presenter of BBC Radio 4’s Today show. Her diverse interests and significant contributions to journalism and television have cemented her status as a highly recognized journalist.

Martha Kearney’s net worth and salary

She has a net worth of $3 million and an annual salary of $300,000.