 SummaryBen Said is currently working as the Group National News Editor for eNews. Due to the high demands of this position, he finds himself working less as a journalist in the field but when a big story comes along, Ben is right there to capture it. What are his plans for the future? "To take eNews onwards and upwards to become a continental and global player, to train younger journalists, to improve the standard of TV journalism in SA" -Ben Said (2009)- Personal information Ben Said was born in Cape Town, South Africa on April 1st, 1974. Ben has one brother, Nick Said. He is currently married, has two daughters, and is living in Johannesburg. Said's schooling career was a long and diverse one. He first attended Kronendal Primary in Hout Bay, he then moved to the UK where he attended St Edwards School in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Upon returning to South Africa he was a student at Rondebosch Boys High School in Cape Town, and finally finished off his academic career at Technikon Natal (now the Durban Institute of Technology) where he studied Journalism. Career information As mentioned above, Said is currently the Group National News Editor for eNews. He previously worked as a senior correspondent on eTV for eNews primetime. During the 1990s he worked as a freelance print journalist. His main task was reporting on the post-war multi-party elections in Mozambique in 1994. Thereafter, he wrote a great deal on topics ranging from South African politics to higher education and sports stories. He wrote these for both the local and international media. Said then began a radio career in 1997, reporting on Pagad's urban bombing campaign in Cape Town. Said worked at Kfm as well as at the division of public affairs division at UCT University. Following his radio career, Said worked at Reuters Television in London as a freelance producer for two years. He returned to South Africa in 2000 and joined etv, bringing a 30-minute international news show to air. He was in charge of a team of producers. In 2002, he attempted field reporting and did this until October 2009. He has reported on many international stories, including the crisis in Zimbabwe, the south-east Asia tsunami and Barack Obama's election win in 2008. Recognitions and awards According to Said, he is "not really one for awards" but was a Duke University Media Fellow in North Carolina, USA in 2006. This is a fairly prestigious fellowship because it is one which invites only about 50 U.S. and international Fellows every year to Duke University where they examine the news media's role in democracy. These fellowships can last anywhere from two weeks to a whole academic year. Other professional activities: Ben Said has covered numerous State of the Nation addresses and covered Jacob Zuma's winning of the ANC Presidency in Polokwane in 2007. He has covered South African politics for many years and provided analysis for eNews of the 2009 General Elections in SA. In 2006, he spoke at Duke University about the Jacob Zuma story as well as other stories about South Africa. Ben Said reported live from Washington DC during the latest elections in America where Barack Obama was inaugurated. External Links: Actor Profile White Journalists Denied Access 200 Young South African Lunch Time Companions Journalism Dialogues Speaking at Duke University American Elections 2008 'Kasie Kulture' Blog DeWitt Wallace Center | References: Primary Sources Ben Said (Correspondence via email) Secondary Sources TVSA Actor Profile. 2009. Ben Said: Actor biography. Retrieved 18 October 2009 from http://www.tvsa.co.za/actorpro |