Available to book
Sarah Smith
Politics
Communication
Economics
Gain insights into global news coverage and learn from a seasoned journalist's experiences with Sarah Smith, speaker, BBC North America Editor.
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BBC
Sarah Smith is the BBC's North American Editor, bringing over 30 years of experience as a reporter and presenter at the BBC and Channel 4. She has led North American coverage for both networks and was the BBC’s first Scotland Editor.
Sarah began her career at BBC Scotland as a graduate trainee after university. She spent a year in BBC Northern Ireland, gaining insight into the political violence in West Belfast. In 1991, she moved to London to work with BBC Youth Programmes as an assistant producer on shows like Rough Guide and Reportage. After two years, she transitioned to news and current affairs, contributing to Newsnight and Public Eye programmes.
In 1996, Sarah left the BBC to report for 5 News for two years before joining Channel 4 News as Scotland Correspondent, where she also presented. In 2005, she became the first anchor of More4 nightly news at its launch. Appointed Channel 4 Washington Correspondent in 2007, her coverage included President Obama’s election and the Haiti earthquake, later becoming Business Correspondent in 2011.
Before Scotland’s independence referendum, Sarah returned to the BBC to co-present BBC Two’s Scottish current affairs programme, Scotland 2014. In 2015, she was appointed the BBC’s Scotland Editor, tasked with covering Scottish news for a UK audience. In 2017, she took over presenting Sunday Politics from Andrew Neil.
In November 2021, Sarah returned to Washington, D.C., as the BBC's North America Editor. Throughout her career, she has reported on significant global events, including the Fukushima disaster and the Madrid bombings, contributing to Channel 4's International Emmy win.
Book Sarah Smith to inspire your team with her unparalleled insights from over three decades in journalism. Her unique experiences covering global events and leading major newsrooms will provide invaluable perspectives on resilience, leadership, and the power of storytelling in today’s fast-paced world.
often considered together
Katya Adler
Politics
Europe
Global Issues
frequently asked questions
Something we've not covered here?
Email sarah.smith@getapeptalk.com or call PepTalk on +44 20 3835 2929 (UK) or +1 737 888 5112 (US), and one of our speaker agents will contact you within hours to confirm Sarah's availability and fees. If you can, please include your budget upfront – it helps us fast-track your request. It’s also helpful to know the date, format (virtual or in-person), location, and a bit about your audience.
No concrete information about a specific speaking format or device is available from the provided session descriptions.
Sarah Smith's sessions cover topics including North American politics and geopolitics, economic and trade policy, and government and international affairs. She is the BBC's North America Editor, with over 30 years of reporting experience across the BBC and Channel 4, including serving as the BBC's first Scotland Editor and contributing to Channel 4's International Emmy win.
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Three to six months ahead is comfortable for most events, and 12 months is better for large conferences, peak-season dates or one specific in-demand speaker. Shorter timelines are workable, and PepTalk regularly fills last-minute and replacement bookings within days. Availability is the constraint, so get in touch as soon as you have a date.
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