Faisal Islam

Faisal Islam (Bengali: ফয়সাল ইসলাম) is a British political and economics journalist of Bengali descent, who since summer 2014 has been the Political Editor of Sky News. He was the Economics Editor of Channel 4 News, until 1 June 2014, when he was replaced by Paul Mason, the programme's former Culture and Media Editor.
Islam formally joined Sky News in 2014 as its Political Editor, succeeding Adam Boulton, who now presents an evening news programme on the same channel.

Islam was educated at Manchester Grammar School, a boys’ independent school in Manchester, followed by Trinity College at the University of Cambridge. In 2000, he gained a post-graduate Diploma in Newspaper Journalism from City University in London.

Faisal Islam was economics correspondent for The Observer newspaper. He became business correspondent for Channel 4 News in May 2004, later becoming its Economics Editor, a position he held until 1 June 2014, when he was replaced by Paul Mason, the programme's former Culture and Media Editor.

Islam has reported on the ups and downs of the corporate world from government-subsidised arms dealers and failing PFI contracts to how bankers are trading weather. Islam was named as successor to the long-serving political editor Adam Boulton of Sky News; he took up his new post before the Scottish Independence Referendum took place in September 2014.

In an interview with Islam on Sky News on 3 June 2016, Michael Gove, then UK's justice secretary and a leader of the Brexit campaign to leave the European Union, was interrupted by Islam, during which he said that the British people "have had enough of experts, with.. organisations from acronyms." Islam went on to challenge the initial comment disregarding the latter half of Gove's statement, before interrupting Gove again stating, "this is proper Trump politics this is isn't it."

In 2000, Islam was awarded the Wincott Award for Young Financial Journalist of the Year, and shortlisted for Young Journalist of the Year at the British Press Awards for 2001.

In February 2006, Islam was named Young Journalist of the Year at the Royal Society of Television awards.

In January 2007, Islam was the winner of the year’s Broadcast News Journalism Award at the Workworld Media Awards.

In May 2009, Islam received the Wincott Foundation’s award for Best Television Coverage of a Topical Issue, won particularly for his work on the growing financial problems of the Icelandic Banks. The judges said of the report "...here was something really new, completely convincing, with a stellar interview and free of many of the visual clichés which characterised too many financial programmes." In 2009, he was awarded the Business Journalist of the Year, as well as the BJOYA award for "Best Broadcast Story" - again for his report on the Icelandic Banks.

In January 2010, Islam was named "Broadcast News Reporter of the Year" by the WorkWorld Foundation for 2009 - with the judges saying; "his excellent writing converts abstract economics to something accessible to all, informing viewers in a compelling and original way."

In January 2015, Islam was nominated for the Services to Media award at the British Muslim Awards.

• 'Stop Aping the US, Gordon'.
• 'Arms subsidies cost UK jobs'.
• 'Now he's taking on the world'.
• 'The great generational robbery'.

• Islam, Faisal (2 August 2002). "Stop aping the US, Gordon". New Statesman. Retrieved 13 November 2008. 
• Islam, Faisal (18 April 2008). "Arms subsidies cost UK jobs". London: The Guardian . Retrieved 13 November 2008. 
• Islam, Faisal (19 September 2004). "Now he's taking on the world". The Guardian . Retrieved 13 November 2008. 
• Islam, Faisal (5 March 2007). "The great generational robbery". New Statesman. Retrieved 13 November 2008.