Rachel Dinning

I’m Rachel, a digital editor at HistoryExtra and the producer behind our HistoryExtra Academy video strand. I spend much of my time dreaming up new ways to bring history to life through video – from working with expert presenters to developing scripts, directing shoots and shaping the final cut. I’m especially passionate about helping historians share their research in ways that feel vivid, accessible and genuinely fun for our audience. My enthusiasm for history has been with me since childhood, shaped by a lifelong love of historical fiction, documentaries and period dramas. That fascination continues to guide my work today: I’m driven by the idea that history should feel alive, human and full of compelling stories – and I’m always searching for new ways to help audiences experience it exactly that way! Whether I’m storyboarding a new Academy series, juggling a multi-platform campaign or jumping behind the camera myself, I love the creative challenge of turning big historical questions into stories that spark curiosity. I hold a master’s degree in Broadcast Journalism from the University of the West of England and a BA in English Literature from the University of Bristol. Across eight years working in digital media, I’ve developed a specialism in video production and editorial strategy, recently overseeing video series that have reached millions of viewers on our YouTube channel. Before stepping into my current role, I spent seven years producing, commissioning and managing digital content for HistoryExtra. I previously was a news reporter for the Gloucestershire Gazette, where I covered local news stories and interviewed numerous politicians (but soon realised that I prefer telling stories about people from the past rather than the present!).