When he attended night-class while at school to study A Level Politics, Jim Fitzpatrick could not have predicted quite how useful this extra-mural activity would one day become.  His early interest in the subject has been repaid with the challenge of fronting nearly three hours of political coverage each week.
From the machinations of the Assembly each Monday and Tuesday on Stormont Live, to the analysis of the workings of devolved government on The Politics Show, Northern Ireland politics is his bread and butter.
He joined the BBC in 2003 to launch the Politics Show and has since been a regular presenter for news and current affairs on television and radio.  He recently co-hosted BBC Northern Ireland’s seven-hour marathon general election coverage.
Prior to joining the BBC he worked as an investigative reporter for UTV and before that Jim held a number of positions in the Northern Ireland daily, The Irish News, including that of Business Editor.
He maintains a keen interest in business and economic affairs and was

instrumental in developing one of Northern Ireland’s leading independent production companies, recently acquired by Bob Geldof’s Ten Alps.
He began his career in local radio as News Editor of a Mid Ulster-based community station and has also spent a year working in corporate PR.
Beyond his broadcasting and journalism duties, Jim is a regular host of conferences, seminars and awards ceremonies such as Habitat for Humanity Gala Fundraiser, Integrated Education Fund Gala, Belfast Business Awards, Craigavon Business Awards, Northern Ireland Local Government Association Annual Conference, Wrap – recycling conference, Community Relations Council Conference, PwC Business Eye – state of the economy discussions
Outside of work, he has a busy life as husband and father of four young children. He plays the piano; is known to cycle to Stormont on occasion; and is sometimes found in the kitchen at home – his speciality being eggs Benedict.

Jim Fitzpatrick is an award-winning independent broadcaster, producer and journalist with a specialist interest in economics and politics.
He is currently Consulting Editor at The Irish News in Belfast and presents a weekly business/entrepreneurship podcast, Trading Up which is produced in association with EY .
The Irish News is part of his family business, the IntoMedia group, which also includes commercial radio station Q Radio and Northern Ireland’s largest news printing specialists Interpress .
His investigations work in recent years for non-profit organisations such as OCCRP (Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project) and openDemocracy have focused on transparency issues and the intersection of money and politics. 
A former Editor of Economics and Business for the BBC in Ireland , he previously fronted much of the BBC NI’s political coverage as the presenter of The Politics Show , Stormont programming and party conferences.  He also led major investigations for BBC’s current affairs programme Spotlight.

He has interviewed many leading politicians from Ireland, the UK and US from Bill Clinton to Tony Blair and Leo Varadkar .
He is Chair of the charity PeacePlayers Northern Ireland which helps bridge divides through sport in some of the region’s most challenging situations.

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