Paddy Coulter (1946 – 2024)

Associate Fellow and long-standing college member Paddy Coulter died on Sunday 3 November 2024. Paddy was a much-loved member of the community and took an active part in college life until his sudden death. Paddy was a Governing Body Fellow from 2001 to 2007.

Paddy is remembered by friends and colleagues as a vibrant, warm person and as someone so full of life. He was also down-to-earth and someone who really cared about the important things – like treating people with respect and engaging with them as equals who could make a difference. He will be sorely missed by everyone who knew him.

Paddy was a specialist in media and sustainable development with over 30 years professional experience in international communications. He was a partner in the Oxford Global Media consultancy working on a range of communications strategy assignments for international organisations and media and journalism training programmes including for academic research groups, environmental non-profit bodies and other international NGOs.

Paddy with HRH Princess Anne at 13 Norham Gardens in 2001He was Director of Studies at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, responsible for the Reuters Journalism Programme from 2001 to 2007, and subsequently, until 2019, acted as Communications Director for the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) of the university’s Department of International Development at Queen Elizabeth House.

He was formerly Director of the independent television production company, the International Broadcasting Trust, between 1990 and 2001 (and its Deputy Director from 1987 to 1990), producing over a hundred television programmes for BBC TV and other leading broadcasters on global development and environment issues. In 1996 he was given the Gold Award by the United Nations Correspondents Association in New York for the television documentary series, ‘Under the Blue Flag’, and in 2000 was awarded OBE ‘for services to development awareness’.

Paddy was a trustee of the international human rights body, the Equal Rights Trust, and previously served as Chair of the international press freedom organisation, ARTICLE 19. He also was a trustee of the Philip Geddes Memorial Trust (linked to St Edmund Hall) which seeks to promote student journalism at the University of Oxford. He had extensive experience on trust boards having served as a trustee for Oxfam, the UK Committee of UNICEF, Comic Relief and the Media Trust. He was a jury member of the international Fetisov Journalism Awards.

The thoughts of college members are with Paddy’s wife and Associate Fellow Angela, his daughters Rachel and Alice, his grandchildren, and his other family and friends at this time. Please let the fellowship team know if you would like to provide a tribute for publication here; to pass on any messages or tributes; or to be notified of memorial arrangements in due course.