We were very saddened to hear of the death of our alumnus David Knowles, a talented young journalist and creator of an award-winning podcast.
David, who studied with us between 2010 and 2016, joined the major UK news title The Telegraph in 2020 and went on to become its head of social media.
He was perhaps best-known for launching the daily podcast Ukraine: The Latest, which reported on the ongoing conflict with Russia.
It became The Telegraph’s most listened-to podcast and won the Best News Podcast at the Publisher Podcast Awards.
During his time at Durham, David studied theology while at University College (Castle) followed by a master’s degree in Biblical Studies at the College of St Hild and St Bede.
After graduating, David remained closely connected to his alma mater.
He returned to Durham last year to contribute to a careers event at Castle in which he shared tips with our students on how to pursue a career in journalism, social media and podcasting.
David was generous with his time and gave Castle students many meaningful insights, sharing his professional expertise with wit, warmth and sincerity.
Our Vice-Chancellor Professor Karen O’Brien paid tribute, saying: “Our thoughts are with David’s loved ones at this incredibly distressing time.
“David was a talented individual and his loss has been deeply felt across the Durham University community and particularly among those who knew him at Castle.
“Tributes have poured in for David since his death was announced, with many people commenting on his warmth, his intelligence and his integrity.
“That he has managed to leave such a legacy at such a young age is testament to the huge impact he had on all those who had the pleasure to know him and on his thousands of dedicated podcast listeners from across the world.”
The University is inviting those who knew David to pay their own tribute to him by emailing castle.alumni@durham.ac.uk.
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