{{Short description|British journalist and author (1951–2021)}} {{for|the American book dealer|David A. Randall}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2016}} {{Use British English|date=September 2016}} {{Infobox person | name = David Randall | birth_date = {{Birth date|1951|04||df=y}} | birth_place = Ipswich, Suffolk, England, United Kingdom | death_date = {{Death date and age|2021|07|17|1951|04||df=y}} | death_place = | alma_mater = Clare College, Cambridge | occupation = Journalist, author }} '''David Randall''' (April 1951 – 17 July 2021)<ref>[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/david-randall-independent-observer-obituary-death-b1888183.html David Randall: Former Independent journalist who made his mark on British media]</ref> was a British journalist and author of ''The Universal Journalist'', a textbook on journalism. He was assistant editor of ''The Observer'' until 1998, when he joined ''The Independent on Sunday'' and worked there until retiring in 2013.
==Education and career in journalism== Randall was born in Ipswich in 1951. He studied economics at Clare College, Cambridge. While at Cambridge, he was recruited to write for the student newspaper ''Varsity'' by editor Jeremy Paxman and wrote a weekly column titled "The Adventures of Druisilla Nutt-Tingler".<ref name="Guardian obit">{{cite news|title=David Randall, former assistant editor of the Observer, dies aged 70|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/jul/18/david-randall-former-assistant-editor-of-the-observer-dies-aged-70|first=David|last=Connett|date=18 July 2021|access-date=18 July 2021|newspaper=The Guardian|location=London}}</ref>
==Career== After a brief period as a professional comedian and a brand manager at a cosmetics company, Randall joined the ''Croydon Advertiser'' as a trainee reporter in 1974 and became the paper's editor in 1980.<ref name="Guardian obit" /><ref name=":0">[http://www.universaljournalist.co.uk/UJDRBiog.html ''The Universal Journalist'', David Randall's Biography]</ref> He joined ''The Observer'' one year later as deputy sports editor. He was promoted to the post of assistant editor.<ref name="Berry2012">{{cite book|author=Dr David Berry|title=Journalism, Ethics and Society|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OZ8YvkBUCPYC&pg=PA111|date=28 December 2012|publisher=Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.|isbn=978-1-4094-9151-4|pages=111–2}}</ref> Randall later joined ''The Independent on Sunday'' in 1998. He worked as its home editor, chief news writer, and commentator until his retirement in 2013.<ref name=Stubley>{{cite news|title=David Randall: Former journalist at The Independent dies aged 70|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/david-randall-independent-journalist-dies-aged-70-b1885878.html|first=Peter|last=Stubley|date=17 July 2021|access-date=18 July 2021|newspaper=The Independent|location=London|url-access=subscription}}</ref>
==Books== Randall was the author of ''The Universal Journalist''. In a review of the book in the ''British Journalism Review'', Ann Leslie stated "How I wish this book had been around when I was a young reporter."<ref name="Leslie2007">{{cite journal|last=Leslie|first=A.|year=2007|title=Book Review: Bear facts: The Universal Journalist, by David Randall (Pluto Press, pp245, 15.99)|journal=British Journalism Review|volume=18|issue=4|pages=85–86|issn=0956-4748|doi=10.1177/09564748070180041203|s2cid=144491122}}</ref> In the book ''Journalism, Ethics and Society'', David Berry labels Randall a "prominent critic of the debate" concerning journalistic ethics and quotes Randall as arguing in ''The Universal Journalist'' that "the objectives and resolutions of ethical debates are unrealistic in the real world of practice [of journalism]."<ref name="Berry2012" />
Randall was also the author of ''The Great Reporters'', which profiles thirteen reporters he regards as being the best journalists.<ref>David Randall [https://web.archive.org/web/20080531075725/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/the-greatest-reporters-506528.html "The Greatest Reporters"], ''The Independent'', 12 September 2005</ref> Among the reporters included were Edna Buchanan,<ref>{{cite news|title=Inside Edge|work=The Age|date=19 September 2005|author=Annie Lawson|quote= Pulitzer Prize-winning author and Miami Herald crime correspondent Edna Buchanan was among the journalists to feature in David Randall's new book, The Great Reporters}}</ref> William Howard Russell, Hugh McIlvanney, Ann Leslie, and A. J. Liebling.<ref>{{cite news|title=Paperbacks|author1=Christopher Hirst|author2=Boyd Tonkin|work=The Independent|date=7 October 2005|pages=26–7}}</ref>
2019, "Suburbia (A Far From Ordinary Place)", his personal recollections of growing up in the 1950s and 1960s in Worcester Park and a warm and humorous broader look at life in the suburbs at that time.
==Personal life== Randall was married to Pam until his death. Together, they had four children: Guy, Paul, Simon, and Tom.<ref name="Guardian obit" /><ref name=Stubley />
Randall resided in Croydon during his later life. He died during the week of 11–17 July 2021. He was 70, and suffered a suspected heart attack prior to his death.<ref name="Guardian obit" /><ref name=Stubley />
==References== {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Randall, David}} Category:British male journalists Category:1951 births Category:2021 deaths Category:Date of birth missing Category:Date of death missing Category:Writers from Ipswich