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Charlton quits Yorkshire editorships after 40-year career

Peter Charlton is to bow out as editorial director of the Yorkshire Post and Yorkshire Evening Post after 40 years in newspapers.

The long-serving news chief – regarded as one of the industry’s great survivors – will step down from his role on 23 May, parent company Johnston Press announced yesterday.

Peter, pictured left, has edited the Post for the past nine years and added the Evening Post to his responsibilities following a restructure last year.

During the course of his career he was also editor of the Sheffield Star for 12 years and before that the Gazette, Blackpool.

Peter faced potential redundancy a year ago when it was decided to merge the editorships of the YP and the YEP under a single editorial director.

He had been due to go head-to-head with YEP editor Paul Napier for the combined role, but Paul then landed the role of group editorial development director and Peter lived to fight another day.

Said Peter: “After editing regional daily newspapers for the last 25 years – 21 of them here in Yorkshire – I feel it is time for me to move on to a new phase in my life..

“Editing a paper like the Yorkshire Post has been a privilege, but it is also all-consuming.”

Although Peter will step down from the editorships at the end of May, he will continue to act as a consultant to Yorkshire Post Newspapers.

The recruitment process for a successor will begin next week and the post of editorial director will be advertised.

In his time at the YP, Peter has led the campaign for Yorkshire to get a fairer funding deal from Whitehall, presenting a bank of 60 ideas to Downing Street.

He was also responsible for the relaunch of the Yorkshire Evening Post, with daily supplements, in January.

A company statement read:  “Johnston Press announces that Peter Charlton has decided to step down from his role as editorial director of the Yorkshire Publishing Unit at Johnston Press plc from the end of May 2013 after more than 40 years in the regional press.

“Peter has held the Yorkshire Post Editor’s position for the last nine years and has also edited the Yorkshire Evening Post since April 2012.

“He will continue to work within the business until October 2013 to lead key initiatives in Yorkshire whilst also supporting his replacement.

“The recruitment process for a new Editorial Director for Yorkshire will commence early next week.”

11 comments

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  • March 6, 2013 at 4:34 pm
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    Great bloke, and yes, a real survivor. Wish him well. But who’s that young chap in the picture?

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  • March 6, 2013 at 5:14 pm
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    Peter’s much more than a “survivor”. His longevity in the industry is due to the fact that he’s a first rate editor who knows newspapers more thoroughly than virtually anybody else in the industry, produces fine papers and treats staff with decency.

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  • March 7, 2013 at 10:52 am
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    I once asked Peter (in the days when evening papers had four editions) if he believed inlife after death. He mused a moment & then said “well…it would be nice if there was something else…something like a Fifth Edition…” I recall his evening reading was said to be every word of every edition of that day’s newspaper. While his habit of complaining about the tiniest error (“no, everyone does NOT make mistakes – I don’t) was trying, you could tell this was a man who WAS newspapers.

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  • March 7, 2013 at 11:16 am
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    A proper editor who has always set high standards and fought the editorial corner. All the very best for the future, Peter.

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  • March 7, 2013 at 12:50 pm
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    An excellent editor and a very nice man who was particularly kind to me when I was too ill to work through chemotherapy last year.

    I hope he enjoys retirement.

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  • March 7, 2013 at 3:35 pm
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    A great editor and a true gentleman. Always very supportive of his fellow editors and someone who knew instinctively what his readers wanted. I wish him well in whatever he chooses to do next …

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  • March 7, 2013 at 4:10 pm
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    Endorse all the above comments, plus Peter was a great lunch companion at Rossi’s in Sheffield in the 1990s. He looks younger now, though!

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  • March 8, 2013 at 10:12 am
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    Great editor, great guy and great company at the bar. Always has (had) time for his fellow editors no matter how small or large their titles. Great memories of Oulton Hall etc. Think the most telling comment has been made by Liz from Harrogate. Sums the man up. Good luck mate.

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  • March 9, 2013 at 10:40 am
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    A true professional,and there are not many like him left: he will be missed

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