John Sweeney

Journalist

Birthday June 7, 1958

Birth Sign Gemini

Birthplace England

Age 65 years old

#113503 Most Popular

About

Award-winning investigative journalist known for his work with BBC's Panorama, producing documentaries about some of the most corrupt organizations and countries on Earth, including Scientology and North Korea.

Before Fame

After attending the London School of Economics, her worked at The Observer for 12 years, during which time he was unsuccessfully sued for defamation by the Barclay brothers.

Trivia

He's written more than half a dozen novels about his experiences and what he's learned as an investigative journalist. He won the inaugural Paul Foot Award in 2005.

Family Life

He and wife Tomiko came under fire in 2013 for endangering students on a trip to North Korea by using them as cover to enter the country.

Associated With

While covering Robert Mugabe and corruption in Zimbabwe in the early 2000s, he was forced to ride in a car trunk to get around the country and find his story. Being a journalist, his presence in the country was illegal at the time.