Jonathan Rugman

Jonathan Rugman is an award-winning journalist and author specialising in international affairs, geopolitics and investigative reporting. Over thirty years, he has reported from more than fifty countries and won fifteen awards, including a BAFTA for his coverage of the Paris terrorist attacks, whilst serving twenty-two years at Channel 4 News as Business, Washington, Diplomatic and Foreign Affairs Correspondent. His books include 'Ataturk's Children' and 'The Killing in the Consulate', a Financial Times-acclaimed investigation into Jamal Khashoggi's murder. Now a RUSI Senior Associate Fellow and Visiting Lecturer at City, University of London, Jonathan illuminates complex global events for audiences, translating decades of frontline experience into compelling insight that helps organisations understand the forces shaping our world.

Over thirty years of frontline reporting have taken Jonathan Rugman to more than fifty countries, from the battlefields of Iraq during the first Gulf War to the heart of the Arab Spring, from famine-stricken East Africa to the scene of terrorist attacks in Paris. His career began as the BBC's Ankara correspondent in 1991, a posting that would shape his enduring expertise in Middle Eastern affairs and lead to his first book, 'Ataturk's Children: Turkey and the Kurds', a penetrating history of the PKK guerrilla insurgency. After joining The Guardian and The Observer, he covered conflict across the Middle East, Central Asia and the Caucasus, including Nagorno Karabakh, before embarking on a twenty-two year career with Channel 4 News that saw him serve successively as Business, Washington, Diplomatic and Foreign Affairs Correspondent. His work has earned fifteen awards, including a BAFTA for his coverage of the Paris terrorist attacks in 2015.

Jonathan's investigative rigour extends beyond broadcast journalism into published works that have garnered critical acclaim. His book 'The Killing in the Consulate' offers a meticulous investigation into the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul, described by the Financial Times as a "superb account of this horrendous affair". Throughout his Channel 4 tenure, he produced fifteen current affairs documentaries for BBC Radio 4 and reported on defining global events: the battle against ISIS in Iraq, the Eurozone crisis, multiple American and French presidential elections, and countless UN, EU and NATO summits. His corporate investigations as Business Correspondent earned multiple awards, whilst his coverage of the Haiti earthquake and Somalia famine brought international recognition. Now a Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute and Visiting Lecturer in journalism at City, University of London, Jonathan continues to analyse the geopolitical forces reshaping our world.

Audiences benefit from Jonathan's rare combination of frontline experience and analytical depth, gaining clarity on complex international developments that affect business, policy and society. His ability to translate decades of conflict reporting and diplomatic coverage into accessible insight helps organisations understand the real implications of global events. Whether speaking on terrorism, foreign policy, international development or geopolitical risk, he illuminates current affairs through relevant anecdotes drawn from direct experience in the field. As both speaker and moderator, Jonathan's professional manner and breadth of knowledge create engaging, informative sessions that leave audiences better equipped to navigate an increasingly interconnected and volatile world. His transition from newsroom to academia ensures his perspective remains both current and contextualised, offering lasting value to any event.