Guy Basnett | About

Work

Guy has exposed corruption in the European Parliament, expenses abuse by British MPs, and the use of child labour. In 2012 he revealed that Comic Relief was investing millions into tobacco, alcohol and arms companies, and in 2014 he uncovered how thousands of aborted and miscarried foetuses were incinerated alongside hospital waste.

Since joining the Channel 4 News Investigations Unit, he has been part of the team that revealed Prime Minister David Cameron’s offshore family finances, investigated Brexit businessman Arron Banks, and laid bare the killing of civilians in Afghanistan and Iraq by British armed forces. In 2016, his work helped expose the Conservative Party’s election expenses scandal.

In 2017 Guy played a key role in originating and running the Channel 4 News undercover investigation into Cambridge Analytica, where senior executives were filmed saying they use bribes and honey traps in secret election campaigns around the world. The investigation won International Emmy, Bafta, Peabody and RTS awards.

In the run up to the 2020 US Presidential election he obtained one of the largest leaks in journalism history, Donald Trump’s 5TB presidential campaign database, and helped lead the team that uncovered Trump’s secret strategy to deter millions of Black citizens from voting.

In 2021 the Channel 4 News Investigations Unit revealed multiple claims from women of Jeffrey Epstein's crimes in the UK, prompting calls for a full investigation by the Metropolitan Police. Guy had previously revealed that the force decided against investigating claims involving Prince Andrew.

Career

Guy began his career at his local newspaper, as a trainee reporter for the Crewe Chronicle. During his traineeship he completed the Trinity Mirror Editorial Training scheme in Newcastle Upon Tyne. 

He became a Senior Reporter, then Chief Reporter, for Newcastle-Upon-Tyne's morning newspaper The Journal, covering the North of England. He won Young Journalist of the Year at the Press Gazette Regional Press Awards 2006.

Moving to the nationals, he worked as an investigative reporter, and later Deputy Features Editor, at News International. He completed the News International Emerging Leaders Programme, and was nominated at the British Press Awards for Reporter of the Year (2009) and Young Journalist of the Year (2010). 

Guy co-founded investigative news agency OpenWorld News in 2012, producing content for the UK’s national newspapers and documentaries including Channel 4 Dispatches and BBC Panorama. Nominations included the British Journalism Awards and RTS Journalism Awards.

He began working for the newly established Channel 4 News Investigations Unit in 2014, becoming Deputy Investigations Editor in 2018.

Awards

Channel 4 News, Deterring Democracy

• Bafta 2021, News Coverage (nominee)
• IRE Award 2020, Broadcast Division I (highly commended)
• RTS Journalism Awards 2021, News Technology (winner)
  
• Venice TV Award 2021 (nominee)

Channel 4 News, Cambridge Analytica Investigation

• International Emmy 2019, News (winner)
• Bafta 2019, News Coverage (winner)
• Peabody Award 2019 (winner)
• RTS Journalism Awards 2019, News Coverage Home (winner)
• RTS Journalism Awards 2019, Scoop of the Year (winner)
• RTS Journalism Awards 2019, News Coverage International (winner)
• British Journalism Awards 2018, Investigation of the Year (winner)

Channel 4 News, Election Expenses Exposed

• IRE Award 2017, Broadcast Large (winner)
• RTS Journalism Awards 2017, News Coverage Home (nominee)
• RTS Journalism Awards 2017, Scoop of the Year (nominee)
• British Journalism Awards 2017, Politics Journalism (finalist)

ITV Exposure,  Abused and Betrayed: A Life Sentence

• RTS Journalism Awards 2017, Home Current Affairs (nominee)

Channel 4 Dispatches, Exposing Hospital Heartache

• British Journalism Awards 2014, Investigation of the Year (finalist)

BBC Panorama, All In A Good Cause

• Bafta Scotland 2014, Current Affairs (nominated, original research)

Press Awards

• British Press Awards 2010, Young Journalist of the Year (finalist)
• British Press Awards 2009, Reporter of the Year (finalist)
• Press Gazette Regional Press Awards 2006, Young Journalist of the Year (winner)