Giles Trendle named Al Jazeera English’s acting MD

Trendle, who will continue in his role as AJE’s programmes head, replaces Al Anstey who left to lead Al Jazeera America.

Giles Trendle
Trendle joined Al Jazeera in 2004 after years as an independent film-maker and journalist [Al Jazeera]

Al Jazeera has appointed Giles Trendle as the new acting managing director of Al Jazeera English, replacing Al Anstey, who left to lead Al Jazeera America.

Trendle, who joined the network in 2004, will also continue in his role as AJE’s director of programmes, the network said in a statement on Tuesday.

Trendle started his career with the media outlet on Al Jazeera Arabic’s flagship investigative documentary show Top Secret.

He moved across to Al Jazeera English in 2006 where he commissioned and acquired films for the Witness documentary strand.

He also oversaw numerous documentary series and helped develop content-sharing between the network’s channels.

Prior to joining Al Jazeera, Trendle was an independent documentary-maker and journalist specialising in the Middle East.

He began his career in journalism in 1985 spending many years in Lebanon as a freelance journalist. He reported for The Economist and the Sunday Times, among others.

He moved into television and over the years made numerous documentaries – including films in Iraq both during and after Saddam Hussein’s fall, as well as a film following former British hostage John McCarthy’s return to Beirut.

Trendle said he was honoured to be awarded the role.

“I am committed to ensuring Al Jazeera English continues to be a news and current affairs channel that offers great journalism, original story telling, and uncovers human stories that need to be told,” he said.

“We have established ourselves as one of the most reputable and most watched news and current affairs outlets in the world.

“I’m determined that we do everything necessary to continue to be recognised as the very best at what we do, catering for our audiences no matter if they are using television, mobile, or social platforms.”

Dr Mostefa Souag, acting director-general of Al Jazeera Media Network, praised Trendle’s “multicultural” and versatile approach, adding that the channel would continue its “upward trajectory” under his leadership. 

Source: Al Jazeera