Faisal Islam
Faisal Islam is Economics Editor for BBC News. He has worked in television news for nearly two decades across business, economics and politics.
He’s exposed the Icelandic banking crisis, watched Lehman Brothers' fall from Wall Street, investigated emerging economies in India and Singapore and interviewed everyone from Prime Ministers to the President of the World Bank.
In his own words ‘Covered economics and there was a massive economic crisis. Covered Europe and there was a massive eurozone crisis. Covered politics and there’s a never-ending political crisis. Now back on the numbers…’
Career
After earning a post-graduate diploma in newspaper journalism Faisal worked as an Economics Correspondent for The Observer before his move into television in 2004 when he joined Channel 4 News, first as a Business Correspondent and later as Economics Editor.
2014 saw Faisal move to Westminster as Political Editor for Sky News where he covered two elections in quick succession, the EU referendum and the Scottish Independence Referendum.
In 2019 Faisal joined BBC News as Economics Editor. He also occasionally presents Newsnight when the show’s regular presenters are unavailable.
In 2017 he was second in an episode of Celebrity Mastermind; his specialist subject was Manchester United in the 1990’s.
Books
In his 2013 book, The Default Line: The Inside Story of People, Banks and Entire Nations on the Edge, Faisal guides the reader through the financial crisis which engulfed the world from 2008.
Awards
Faisal won the Wincott Award for Young Financial Journalist of the Year in 2000.
He was named Young Journalist of the year at the 2005 Royal Society of Television awards.
2007 saw Faisal win the Broadcast News Journalism award at the Workworld Media awards.
In 2009 Faisal’s reporting on the Icelandic banking crisis won a host of awards including Best Television Coverage of a Topical Issue from the Wincott Foundation, Business Journalist of the Year and Best Broadcast Story from the Business Journalist of the Year Awards and named Broadcast News Reporter of the year by Worldwork.
In 2017 Faisal won the Royal Television Society award for Interview of the year for his interview with David Cameron.
In 2018 Faisal was named Journalist of the Year at the Asian Media Awards.
In 2019 he won the Asian Achievers Award for outstanding achievement in Media, Arts & Culture.
