Chris Cramer

Christopher Ranville Cramer (3 January 1948 – 16 January 2021) was a British news journalist and executive. During his career, he was head of news gathering for the BBC, an executive at CNN International, and a consultant for The Wall Street Journal. Cramer was perhaps best known in his field for raising training standards for journalists who are given dangerous assignments, as well as suggesting safety equipment while away and necessary counselling upon their return. Such methods arose from his being taken hostage in the Iranian Embassy siege in London in 1980.

Early years Cramer was born and raised in Portsmouth, England. As a teenager he became a reporter for The Portsmouth Evening News. In 1970, he moved to BBC Radio Solent and then worked in BBC television news as an editor and field producer. With BBC safety managers, he introduced the first hostile environment training courses, risk assessments and equipment for those covering conflicts. He later introduced the first confidential counselling service for news teams, recognising PTSD, and helped found the International News Safety Institute (INSI), which spearheaded safety across the news industry.

In 1996, Cramer joined CNN, where he oversaw global news operations as head of CNN International for 11 years. His focus on journalist safety was widely adopted by other news organizations.