Ros Atkins is the BBC News’ Analysis Editor and has been labelled the nation's 'Explainer-in-Chief'. He can be seen across the BBC's most high profile output from the News at Ten to the BBC News website to BBC Sounds taking an in depth look at recent news stories and unpacking the background as well as the impact of these news developments.
Since 2019, his 'Ros Atkins on...' video explainer series have become a global phenomenon with vast audiences on social media and on the BBC's platforms. The Sunday Times credited him with having
'invented a new genre of reporting’, and, in a now widely used phrase, one BBC executive labelled Ros' approach as ‘assertive impartiality’.
Ros is also the co-presenter of The Media Show on BBC Radio 4. He's also been a news presenter for over 20 years, has anchored and reported on many of the biggest global stories including Brexit, Covid 19, the war in Ukraine, the death of Nelson Mandela, the Inauguration of Barack Obama in 2009, multiple World Cups and multiple US and European elections.
He was the creator and presenter of the innovative and influential BBC News programme Outside Source which aired for nine years.
Ros' first book The Art of Explanation came out in 2023 and received widespread praise. It’s a guide for anyone looking to improve how they communicate and is rooted in Ros’ journalistic pursuit of clarity and concision.
Ros' new BBC Radio 4 podcast, 'Communicating with Ros Atkin', was released in May 2024 and features guests including Tina Brown, Michael Johnson, Sabrina Ghayour and Rob Brydon
Ros is the founder of The 50:50 Project which started in the BBC newsroom in 2017. Its goal is to increase the diversity of contributors within media content. 50:50 expanded across the BBC and to many organisations around the world. London Business School and Harvard Kennedy School have produced a series of case studies of 50:50.
Ros also DJs and, this year, made his debut at Glastonbury in 2024 with a Drum&Bass set. He was also involved in a remix of the BBC News theme which received extensive media coverage. A mix which he made for BBC 6 Music went viral and garnered a lot of media and industry attention.
Ros has made a number of documentaries for the BBC, including for BBC's Panorama including topics such as the UK economy and at immigration. For BBC World Service radio he examined the relationship between tourism and locals in Cornwall, Trinidad and Tobago and the Bahamas, the three places he spent his childhood.
He also made an acclaimed and highly unusual podcast with his wife Sara and the US anchor Keith Olbermann Texting Keith Olbermann which still available via BBC Sounds.
Ros is in demand internationally as a speaker on global affairs, journalism, media,innovation, creativity, communication and culture change, innovation,crativity,communication and culture change.
Ross Atkins- talks blurbs June 2026
Truth, truth and authenticity in the age of AI - techniques to take on a new information era.
Leadership, communication and change
The new world order
Lessons from live TV
Passion without a plan