Jon Snow is unashamedly a journalist with views: "There is no such thing as a neutral journalist," he has written.
Talking to Vin Ray, the former Director of the BBC College of Journalism, Snow (left) admitted that his first job in journalism was obtained through nepotism, thanks to the connection with his cousin Peter Snow, who worked for ITN.
Snow reflected on his career for an audience at the Frontline Club last week, illustrated with some clips (below).
Snow's journalistic life began at LBC, Britain's first 24-hour news radio station, following his rustication from university for his part in an anti-apartheid protest, and a short time working for a charity.
Experience as a late-night newsreader on LBC, then a reporter, led to a job with ITN, where, thanks to having already been to Uganda on VSO, he was given an assignment that led to an interview with Idi Amin (below):
Snow got on record Amin's support for the racial views of Enoch Powell (or "Mr Powell Enoch" as Amin called him).
Reflecting on the trip, Snow reminded his audience of the atrocities that had taken place under Amin, and said he'd wondered about shooting him, as he sat next to the sleeping president in his private plane and noticed he had a gun at his side. Worry about whether the gun was loaded, or whether Amin was indeed asleep, had deterred him.
Snow said he'd been back to Uganda many times since, and still sang the Ugandan national anthem as a party trick.
Introducing his second clip, Snow enthused about the people and culture of Iran, where he was sent to report on the US hostage crisis of 1979-80. ABC's reporter had been expelled, so Snow appeared in his place nightly on the US network, talking to Ted Koppel, for a programme which became Nightline.
The clip is from Snow's exclusive report from the crash site of the failed US attempt to rescue the hostages:
Snow considers himself lucky to have "come of reporting age" during the Cold War. He was sent to El Salvador, a pioneering assignment, for three months at a time, to report on violence that followed the murder of Archbishop Romero:
