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2023-09-24T10:29:36Z

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{{Short description|British journalist and author (1951–2021)}}
{{for|the American book dealer|David A. Randall}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2016}}
{{Infobox person
| name = David Randall
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1951|04||df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Ipswich]], [[Suffolk]], England, United Kingdom
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2021|07|17|1951|04||df=y}}
| death_place =
| alma_mater = [[Clare College, Cambridge]]
| occupation = [[Journalism|Journalist]], [[author]]
}}
'''David Randall''' (April 1951 – 17 July 2021)<ref>[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/david-randall-independent-observer-obituary-death-b1888183.html David Randall: Former Independent journalist who made his mark on British media]</ref> was a British [[journalist]] and [[author]] of ''The Universal Journalist'', a textbook on journalism. He was assistant editor of ''[[The Observer]]'' until 1998, when he joined ''[[The Independent on Sunday]]'' and worked there until retiring in 2013.

==Education and career in journalism==
Randall was born in [[Ipswich]] in 1951. He studied economics at [[Clare College, Cambridge]]. While at Cambridge, he was recruited to write for the student newspaper ''[[Varsity (Cambridge)|Varsity]]'' by editor [[Jeremy Paxman]] and wrote a weekly column titled "The Adventures of Druisilla Nutt-Tingler".<ref name="Guardian obit">{{cite news|title=David Randall, former assistant editor of the Observer, dies aged 70|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/jul/18/david-randall-former-assistant-editor-of-the-observer-dies-aged-70|first=David|last=Connett|date=18 July 2021|access-date=18 July 2021|newspaper=The Guardian|location=London}}</ref>

==Career==
After a brief period as a professional comedian and a brand manager at a cosmetics company, Randall joined the ''[[Croydon Advertiser]]'' as a trainee reporter in 1974 and became the paper's editor in 1980.<ref name="Guardian obit" /><ref name=":0">[http://www.universaljournalist.co.uk/UJDRBiog.html ''The Universal Journalist'', David Randall's Biography]</ref> He joined ''[[The Observer]]'' one year later as deputy sports editor. He was promoted to the post of assistant editor.<ref name="Berry2012">{{cite book|author=Dr David Berry|title=Journalism, Ethics and Society|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OZ8YvkBUCPYC&pg=PA111|date=28 December 2012|publisher=Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.|isbn=978-1-4094-9151-4|pages=111–2}}</ref> Randall later joined ''[[The Independent on Sunday]]'' in 1998. He worked as its home editor, chief news writer, and commentator until his retirement in 2013.<ref name=Stubley>{{cite news|title=David Randall: Former journalist at The Independent dies aged 70|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/david-randall-independent-journalist-dies-aged-70-b1885878.html|first=Peter|last=Stubley|date=17 July 2021|access-date=18 July 2021|newspaper=The Independent|location=London|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

==Books==
Randall was the author of ''The Universal Journalist''. In a review of the book in the ''[[British Journalism Review]]'', [[Ann Leslie]] stated "How I wish this book had been around when I was a young reporter."<ref name="Leslie2007">{{cite journal|last=Leslie|first=A.|year=2007|title=Book Review: Bear facts: The Universal Journalist, by David Randall (Pluto Press, pp245, 15.99)|journal=British Journalism Review|volume=18|issue=4|pages=85–86|issn=0956-4748|doi=10.1177/09564748070180041203|s2cid=144491122}}</ref> In the book ''[[David Berry (educator)|Journalism, Ethics and Society]]'', [[David Berry (educator)|David Berry]] labels Randall a "prominent critic of the debate" concerning [[Journalism ethics and standards|journalistic ethics]] and quotes Randall as arguing in ''The Universal Journalist'' that "the objectives and resolutions of ethical debates are unrealistic in the real world of practice [of journalism]."<ref name="Berry2012" />

Randall was also the author of ''The Great Reporters'', which profiles thirteen reporters he regards as being the best journalists.<ref>David Randall [https://web.archive.org/web/20080531075725/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/the-greatest-reporters-506528.html "The Greatest Reporters"], ''The Independent'', 12 September 2005</ref> Among the reporters included were [[Edna Buchanan]],<ref>{{cite news|title=Inside Edge|work=The Age|date=19 September 2005|author=Annie Lawson|quote=
Pulitzer Prize-winning author and Miami Herald crime correspondent Edna Buchanan was among the journalists to feature in David Randall's new book, The Great Reporters}}</ref> [[William Howard Russell]], [[Hugh McIlvanney]], Ann Leslie, and [[A. J. Liebling]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Paperbacks|author1=Christopher Hirst|author2=Boyd Tonkin|work=The Independent|date=7 October 2005|pages=26–7}}</ref>

2019, "Suburbia (A Far From Ordinary Place)", his personal recollections of growing up in the 1950s and 1960s in Worcester Park and a warm and humorous broader look at life in the suburbs at that time.

==Personal life==
Randall was married to Pam until his death. Together, they had four children: Guy, Paul, Simon, and Tom.<ref name="Guardian obit" /><ref name=Stubley />

Randall resided in [[Croydon]] during his later life. He died during the week of 11–17 July 2021. He was 70, and suffered a suspected heart attack prior to his death.<ref name="Guardian obit" /><ref name=Stubley />

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Randall, David}}
[[Category:British male journalists]]
[[Category:1951 births]]
[[Category:2021 deaths]]
[[Category:Date of birth missing]]
[[Category:Date of death missing]]
[[Category:Writers from Ipswich]]

David Randall - Revision history

148.252.132.200: /* Books */