Editing Today (BBC Radio 4) (section)

==History==
''Today'' was launched on the [[BBC Home Service]] on 28 October 1957 as a programme of "topical talks" to give listeners an alternative to listening to [[light music]]. The programme's founders were [[Isa Benzie]] and [[Janet Quigley]]. Benzie gave the programme its name and served as its first ''[[de facto]]'' editor.<ref>Paul Donovan, 'Benzie, Isa Donald (1902–1988)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/65410, accessed 4 March 2017]</ref> It was initially broadcast as two 20-minute editions slotted in around the existing news bulletins and religious and musical items. It became part of the BBC's Current Affairs department in 1963, and started to become more news-orientated. The two editions also became longer, and by the end of the 1960s it had become a single programme two hours in length that enveloped the news bulletins and the religious talk that had become ''[[Thought for the Day]]'' in 1970.<ref>Lizzie Clifford [http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/thought_for_the_day/main_report "Thought for the Day’: Beyond the god-of-the-slots"], ''Ekklesia'' [c.2009]</ref> In May 1977, Radio 4 controller [[Ian McIntyre]] cut it to two 25-minute parts, filling the gap with ''[[Up to the Hour]]''. The new format was unpopular with BBC staff, including [[Peter Donaldson (newsreader)|Peter Donaldson]] who on at least one occasion openly ridiculed the programme on air.<ref>{{cite news |title='Voice of Radio 4' Peter Donaldson dies at 70 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-34707749 |publisher=BBC News |date=3 November 2015}}</ref> It also provoked comments in the diary columns of the daily newspapers. From July 1978, ''Today'' returned to its previous length and ''Up to the Hour'' was dropped.<ref>{{cite web |last=Purves |first=Libby |author-link=Libby Purves |title=Today turns 50 |url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article2718237.ece |url-status=dead |work=[[The Times]] |location=London |date=23 October 2007 |access-date=27 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615125432/http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article2718237.ece |archive-date=15 June 2011}}</ref>

[[Jack de Manio]]<ref>[http://www.radioacademy.org Jack de Manio]. Radio Academy.</ref> became its principal presenter in 1958. He was held in affection by listeners, but became notorious for on-air gaffes (announcing a documentary on [[Nigeria]] titled ''The Land of Niger'' as ''The Land of Nigger'', and referring to [[Yoko Ono]] as "Yoko Hama, or whatever her name is", for instance).<ref name="Chignell2011">{{cite book|author=Hugh Chignell|title=Public Issue Radio: Talks, News and Current Affairs in the Twentieth Century|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2ieCqz0sEVIC&pg=PA91|date=2 September 2011|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|isbn=978-0-230-34645-1|page=91}}</ref> In 1970 the programme format was changed so that there were two presenters each day. De Manio left in 1971, and in the mid-1970s the team of [[John Timpson]] and [[Brian Redhead]] became established. Timpson had been critical of the content, style and professionalism of ''Today''; describing it once as "not so much a programme, more a way of telling the time" and being filled with "eccentric octogenarians, prize pumpkins, and folk who ate lightbulbs and spiders".<ref>{{cite book|title=Life on Air: A History of Radio Four|url=https://archive.org/details/lifeonairhistory00hend|url-access=limited|first=David|last=Hendy|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=9780199248810|year=2007|page=[https://archive.org/details/lifeonairhistory00hend/page/n64 50]}}</ref>

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, under editors [[Ken Goudie]] and [[Julian Holland (journalist)|Julian Holland]], ''Today'' made moves to broaden its appeal away from broadcasting a lot of national politics with London-centric bias. Presentation was split for a time between London, usually by John Timpson, and from Manchester, usually by Brian Redhead. The objective was to make it more of a balanced, national programme. The on-air humour of the two presenters and the split of locations made the programme very popular and influential. Brian Redhead was quoted, "If you want to drop a word in the ear of the nation, then this is the programme in which to do it."<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/keyfacts/stories/today_programme.shtml Today Programme] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140301070808/http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/keyfacts/stories/today_programme.shtml |date=1 March 2014 }}. BBC Press Office. October 2007.</ref> This pairing lasted until Timpson's retirement in 1986. Other presenters during this period included [[Libby Purves]] in the late 1970s. [[John Humphrys]] and [[Sue MacGregor]] joined the rotating list of presenters in 1986. [[Peter Hobday (presenter)|Peter Hobday]], who had first broadcast on the programme in the 1950s, was a regular presenter from the early 1980s and a favourite with listeners because of his relaxed, urbane style.

By this time the programme was benefiting from publicity gained after it became known that Prime Minister [[Margaret Thatcher]] was a regular listener. Ministers thus became keen to go on the programme, but the tough, confrontational interviewing they encountered led to accusations that the BBC was biased. Criticism was particularly directed against Redhead, who was often seen as being on the left. Chancellor [[Nigel Lawson]] accused him, during a live interview in 1988, of having been a Labour voter all his life.<ref>Michael Leapman [https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-brian-redhead-1409045.html Obituary: Brian Redhead], ''The Independent'', 24 January 1994</ref> The style of the male interviewers was analysed and contrasted with the approach of MacGregor, who was alleged to be giving subjects an easier time. The "Big 8:10" interview that follows the 8 am news had become an important institution of British politics, a position it retains.<ref>{{cite news |last=Williams |first=Zoe |title=When Newsnight got a wife |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2010/apr/03/today-programme-women-presenters-bbc |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=3 April 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Mahoney |first=Elisabeth |title=Radio review: Today interview |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2012/jan/10/today-interview-radio-review |work=The Guardian |date=10 January 2012}}</ref>

After [[Brian Redhead]] died in January 1994, [[James Naughtie]] became a member of the team. Peter Hobday presented the programme regularly until 1996; [[Sarah Montague]] replaced MacGregor in 2002. [[Carolyn Quinn]] was a regular presenter until 2008 as was [[Edward Stourton (journalist)|Edward Stourton]] until 2009. Other more occasional presenters include the BBC's [[Stephen Sackur]] and [[Tim Franks]].<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/timfranks/tim_franks Tim Frank's Blog]. BBC blogs archive</ref> [[Evan Davis]] and [[Justin Webb]]<ref name="WEBB">{{cite press release |title=Justin Webb joins Radio 4's Today programme presenting team |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2009/08_august/26/webb.shtml |publisher=BBC |date=26 August 2009}}</ref> were the newest regular presenters to join the roster until [[Mishal Husain]] in 2013. Husain became the second regular female presenter when Naughtie began to cover the [[2014 Scottish independence referendum|Scottish Independence referendum]] as a ''[[Good Morning Scotland]]'' presenter for two days a week, and across the BBC's output. Naughtie returned to ''Today'' before the [[2015 United Kingdom general election|2015 general election]].<ref name="Deans">Jason Deans and Josh Halliday [https://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/jul/16/bbc-mishal-husain-join-today "BBC's Mishal Husain to join Today"], ''The Guardian'', 16 July 2013</ref>

On 7 July 2015, the BBC announced that James Naughtie was to leave the programme, to become a Special Correspondent for [[BBC Radio 4]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2015/james-naughtie|title=James Naughtie appointed Special Correspondent for Radio 4|publisher=Media Centre}}</ref> Two days later, [[Nick Robinson (journalist)|Nick Robinson]] was announced as Naughtie's replacement.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2015/nick-robinson-today|title=Nick Robinson to become a presenter on BBC Radio 4's Today programme|publisher=Media Centre}}</ref> In April 2018, [[Martha Kearney]] joined the team in a straight swap with [[Sarah Montague]], who left to take over Kearney's old role as lead presenter of ''[[The World at One]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.radiotimes.com/news/radio/2018-03-30/bbc-radio-4-today-programme-presenter-sarah-montague-leaves-martha-kearney-world-at-one/|title=Sarah Montague leaves BBC Radio 4's Today programme after 18 years|work=Radio Times}}</ref>

On 19 September 2019, [[John Humphrys]] hosted his last edition of ''Today'', after 32 years on the show. His last major guests were former Prime Ministers [[David Cameron]] and [[Tony Blair]], as well as drag personality [[Dame Edna Everage]].<ref name=":0">{{cite news |title=John Humphrys hosts his final edition of Radio 4 Today programme |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-49739135 |publisher=BBC News |date=19 September 2019}}</ref>

On 17 December 2024, [[Mishal Husain]] hosted her final shift as Today co-presenter, with several past and present Today presenters joining her in the studio to pay tribute.

The BBC announced on 10 March 2025 that presenter [[Anna Foster]] would join the programme's presenting team in April 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Anna Foster to join BBC Radio 4’s Today presenting team |url=https://www.bbc.com/mediacentre/2025/anna-foster-to-join-today-presenting-team |access-date=2025-03-11 |website=www.bbc.co.uk |language=en}}</ref>