Jeremy Thompson recalls Breaking News from his illustrious career.

Veteran British TV journalist Jeremy Thompson launched his new book, Breaking News at Hyde Park Corner.

The legendary journalist, who has worked in broadcast journalism for more than 50 years, recalled some of the tales included in his book at the launch on 15 February.

Thompson has covered some of the biggest breaking news stories around the world including numerous elections, the attacks on the Twin Towers in 2001 and many of South Africa’s largest events during the 80s and 90s.

He lived in South Africa for four years and set up Sky News’ South African bureau in 1995. During those years, he covered the end of the apartheid era and the beginning of Nelson Mandela‘s presidency.

Thompson recalled Chris Hani‘s assassination in 1993 when he had to conduct an interview outside of Hani’s home. “I thought, yet again, how is this country going to get through this?” he said.

“I lived through it and it was tough but it was also an unbelievable privilege to be a part of a little bit of that history and see it unfold.”

He added that sometimes as a journalist it could be difficult to come to the realisation that you could not change history, you could only observe it. “You get thrust into extraordinary situations and you wonder if you should be there or not or if you should be walking around with a camera.

“At the end of the day my justification for myself is that I am not a first responder, I’m not an aid worker or a humanitarian, I’m a journalist. I can tell stories and the most useful thing I can do for people is to tell their story, even if I can’t save their life.”

Thompson said that more recently South Africa had made the international news for the wrong reasons, however, he added that the new change of leadership could be positive.

“I think a new leader could easily reinvigorate the country and make it much more relevant to the world and recapture its attention,” concluded Thompson.

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