BBC journalist and broadcaster Clive Myrie emphasises the importance of hard work to graduates when awarded Honorary Doctorate by Kingston University

Award-winning journalist and broadcaster Clive Myrie has advised Kingston University’s newest cohort of graduates to use their degrees as a platform for future success as they embark on the next stage of their lives as he received an Honorary Doctorate from Kingston University. 

“Follow your heart, follow your dreams, be kind, do unto others as you would have them do unto you, and never forget the importance of hard work – put in those extra minutes, put in that extra hour and make people notice who you are,” he said when visiting Kingston for the ceremony at the Rose Theatre. 

Myrie, conferred with the award in recognition of his outstanding contribution to journalism and cultural life, had previously developed a special relationship with the University when his memoir Everything is Everything was selected as Kingston University's tenth Big Read. The experience proved to be profoundly meaningful for the broadcaster. "The Big Read was a massive event in my life, I am very grateful to the University for choosing my book to be the little bit of glue for new undergraduates to have something common to share between them," he reflected. 

The themes of the memoir resonated particularly strongly with Kingston's diverse student body and Myrie was deeply moved by how his immigrant story connected with readers. "There were a number of students who said that they saw their own lives in the book," he said. The universal themes of his family's journey to Britain and the struggles of making a better life clearly struck a chord across the community, as evidenced with a large turn out at a Big Read event in December 2024 at which Myrie took questions from students and staff about his career.

The presenter of BBC News at 10 spoke about how he approached his role as a newsreader and said when he had graduated, he hoped becoming a journalist would give him the opportunity to broaden his horizons. “Looking back I certainly didn’t think I would have travelled the world as a foreign correspondent for the BBC and return to anchor the main news programme,” he said. “I hope I have inspired the graduates collecting their certificates to plan their careers and think about what could happen in the next five, ten or 15 years.”

One of Britain's most distinguished journalists and broadcasters, Myrie has constructed a career spanning more than three decades. He currently fronts the BBC News and Mastermind having established himself as one of the BBC's most experienced foreign correspondents. Throughout his extensive career, Myrie has reported from some of the world's most challenging locations, covering major international stories across continents from Myanmar to Mexico. 

Beyond his news presenting duties, he has successfully transitioned into hosting popular programmes including the iconic quiz show Mastermind and a variety of travel documentaries including travel series Clive Myrie's Caribbean Adventure, which was awarded a BAFTA in 2025. 

His achievements extend beyond broadcasting, with recent academic appointments including Chancellor of the University of the Arts London in 2024 and Pro-Chancellor of the University of Bolton in 2023. His memoir, released in 2023, Everything is Everything, explored themes of identity and journalism while cementing his status as a multi-award-winning journalist and respected media figure.

“I see the ten o'clock news as a moment when I'm knocking on people's doors and I'm hoping they are going to open it, look me in the face and welcome me into their homes,” he explained when talking about his approach to presenting News at Ten. “It's about us having a dialogue and me informing the audience about what's been going on."

Looking ahead to the evolving media landscape, Myrie recognises the fundamental shift in how audiences consume news, particularly among young people. "More people want their news when they can get it and I think the BBC has to adapt to that. I suspect that transformation of the media landscape will continue as mobile technology gets more sophisticated," Myrie observed. The BBC's multi-platform approach represents what he sees as an effective hybrid model serving both traditional viewers and the growing mobile-first audience.

With many graduate journalists starting careers on local media platforms, Myrie stressed the importance of local news as a platform for young talent. "Having an idea of what drives the political decisions in your own neighbourhood is vital to understanding how your community is governed – that can be extrapolated within a regional or national scale and then through to an international context," he explained. "I deal in a lot of geopolitical issues, grand theories, world strategies and wars. For the vast majority of people they need to know what is happening in their local area."

When asked to imagine how he would go about constructing a career in the media had graduated alongside the class of 2025, Myrie suggested he would use technology to reach audiences and get his voice heard. He suggested graduates use their passion to talk about areas of interest to small but devoted readers. “I would probably start a blog,” he said. “I’d begin by giving readers a sense of my personality – who I am and what interests me, and hope that I can turn my interests into news stories that might interest a prospective employer. Start local, think national – that’s the way to go.”

• Find out more about studying Media Content and Communications BA (Hons) at Kingston University.