Anne Dawson

Anne Dawson is a British academic, formerly a broadcast journalist and television presenter.

Journalism career

After studying English at university, Salisbury-born Dawson began her career as a trainee journalist at a local newspaper before joining BBC South Today in Southampton as a production journalist, reporter and presenter. She also worked for the South East edition of TVS's regional news programme Coast to Coast, as a district reporter in Brighton and later, Maidstone.

In January 1989, Dawson became a main presenter of the then-new Central News South service for the South Midlands, alongside Wesley Smith. The presenting duo became the longest-serving partnership in ITV regional news. As well as presenting Central News South, she presented non-news regional programmes including Lifeline, Central Post and Heart of the Country (as a reporter).

Teaching career

In 2001, Dawson turned down a presenting role on the ITV News Channel with a view to presenting national news bulletins on ITV1. A year later, she left Central News South and began training as a teacher, during which, she taught English Literature in several secondary schools.

Dawson is now Head of Media School and a lecturer in Broadcast Journalism at the University of Gloucestershire, based at the Park Campus studios in Cheltenham.