A CORNISH journalist has been honoured by the University of Exeter for his passion for truth and justice and work to improve gender balance in newsrooms.

Ros Atkins, who is BBC News' analysis editor, grew up in Stithians and was given an honorary degree at the University of Exeter’s Penryn campus in recognition of his role within a new genre of accessible journalism.

His viral explainer videos are shaping how people understand complicated and emotive issues in the news, and how they think critically about the world around them.

Mr Atkins is also the founder of the 50/50 Project to improve gender balance in the media, a policy which has been adopted by media organisations around the world.

His passion for the power of storytelling was influenced by his time growing up and being educated in Cornwall. He is also known for his drum and bass DJ sets, stemming from a lifelong love of the genre dating back to his time on the Cornish dance music scene in the early 1990s.

Mr Atkins said it was a “huge honour” to receive the honorary degree, adding how his fellow graduates had a “wonderful foundation on which to build your future”.

He told them: “I’m sure there were moments where you felt you reached your limit. Things were a struggle. But your ambition, diligence and curiosity got you through. Yours is no mean feat. I’m sure that achievement was a team effort so congratulations to your families too.”

He said it was “particularly special” for him to join a ceremony in Penryn, in a part of Cornwall full of memories for him. This includes a summer’s afternoon in nearby Longdowns spent the celebrating the end of his A-levels with friends.

Mr Atkins told new graduates it hadn’t been easy finding a job after graduating, but when his career wasn’t going to plan, his passions for music, history and news helped to keep him going.

“There is a line which runs all the way from that afternoon just up the road from here 32 years ago all the way to this stage and the things I do,” he said.

“It’s in the things I’m passionate about. Our passions are precious. They won’t always fit neatly together, they won’t always connect to our working lives but they can help us feel creative and fulfilled. They can help us to stand out. Whatever yours are, they are worth taking care of.”

An alumnus of Truro School, Mr Atkins has been a BBC News presenter for more than 20 years and has anchored coverage of major stories in the UK and around the world. He has also presented a number of BBC documentaries, as well as live broadcasts from Cornwall exploring a range of issues from local politics to the economy to tourism.

He is the co-presenter of The Media Show on BBC Radio 4, and his first book, The Art of Explanation: How to Communicate with Clarity and Confidence, was published in 2023.