Martin Stanford

Technophile, Presenter, Sky News

Martin joined Sky News in 1990 at the height of the Gulf War, and presented Sky News’ flagship Sky News at Ten and the Nine o’clock News before moving to Sky News Today. Martin has anchored the channel’s coverage of some of the biggest breaking news stories, including the September 11th terrorist attacks on the US, the subsequent bombing of Afghanistan, the Iraq War, the death of Diana, Princess of Wales and the subsequent funeral, the trial and later acquittal of Michael Jackson and the Beslan school siege.

Martin is an enthusiast for new technology – both reporting new developments for TV and online through the blog Tech Talk and the occasional series Technofile – and as a pioneer of the latest computer and graphics tools to aid the presentation of a story.Martin presented Sky News’ first virtual broadcast from a 3D House of Commons during the 1997 General Election and has worked with 3D and virtual reality technicians on every major election since.

He introduced tablet computers to the newsroom, allowing fellow presenters and himself to move away from the anchor desk for some sequences, while still keeping in touch with breaking news and email reactions from viewers. For the recent Presidential Election in the USA, won by Barack Obama, Martin worked with the latest 108” touch screen inside an entirely green studio, which was electronically overlaid with bespoke Election scenery. Martin is widely acknowledged as master of the vast Sky Newswall, all 10 meters of it, that sits to the rear of the main studio in the Sky News Centre.