Sally Magnusson to leave Reporting Scotland after more than a quarter of a century
The renowned journalist and author began presenting the flagship news programme from BBC Scotland's former home in Queen Margaret Drive in Glasgow's West End in 1998.
After the broadcaster moved to its new centre at Pacific Quay, Sally continued to present the BBC One Scotland show with her customary authority, warmth, and gentle sense of humour. She'll anchor the programme for the last time in April.
Sally began her career on Scottish newspapers before moving into broadcasting, first on BBC Scotland's new Current Account programme and then on various network news programmes including Sixty Minutes, London Plus and Breakfast.
She returned to Scotland and started her regular two days a week presenting Reporting Scotland in addition to working on a variety of other programmes. These have ranged from Sunday Mornings on BBC Radio Scotland to Panorama and Songs of Praise on television. Her most recent television documentary for BBC Scotland was Alzheimer's, a Cure and Me which aired last year.
Although Sally is stepping down from Reporting Scotland she is not retiring from journalism and plans to continue working with the BBC as a freelance. Outside of her BBC work, Sally is an acclaimed author of fiction and non-fiction and is the founder of the charity Playlist for Life, which promotes the use of music to help people with dementia. She was awarded an MBE in 2023 in recognition of her charity work.
Sally says: 'Leaving Reporting Scotland will be a real wrench after 27 years. I'll miss the buzz and challenges of live news presentation, which I've always adored. But although my focus now turns to a growing writing career, an expanding family, and my work around dementia, I'm also looking forward to maintaining links with the BBC as a freelance broadcaster.'
Gary Smith, Head of News and Current Affairs at BBC Scotland, says: 'Sally is an outstanding journalist, broadcaster, and writer. She has skilfully guided viewers through countless big and sometimes difficult stories and the teatime audience will miss her hugely - as will all of us who have worked with her over the years.'
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