Jenny Eastwood, new editor of The Citizen
New editors have today been named for Gloucester daily The Citizen and a series of sister weeklies in Mid-Somerset.
Jenny Eastwood, assistant editor of The Citizen and head of news for both The Citizen and its Local World sister paper, The Gloucestershire Echo, is promoted to editor.
She succeeds Ian Mean who has moved to a content director role overseeing Local World’s Gloucestershire, Bristol and Somerset titles.
In a separate move, Llanelli Star editor Bede MacGowan takes over as editor of the Mid Somerset Series and Somerset Standard following the retirement of Phil Welch.
Jenny began her journalistic career with the Lincolnshire Echo in 2002 and later moved to Gloucester as assistant news editor, and then news editor of The Citizen.
She said: “I feel very honoured to be taking up the role as editor of The Citizen which has a proud heritage in the city and county.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to lead our talented team here through what I know will be exciting times ahead for both our newspaper and our website.”
Jenny will start her new role on 8 April 2013.
Bede MacGowan, who moves from Llanelli to Somerset
Bede began his career in 2002 as a trainee reporter on The Western Gazette, in Yeovil.
He later joined the South Wales Evening Post as senior reporter and then districts news editor, before being appointed editor of the Llanelli Star in February 2009.
He said: “This is an incredibly exciting time to be taking on a new editorship within Local World and I feel proud and privileged to be entrusted with five well-respected Somerset titles.
“I’ll be sorry to say goodbye to what is a fantastic team at the Llanelli Star, but after four happy and successful years, the time is ripe for a fresh challenge.
Sarah Pullen, managing director of Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Dorset said: “I am delighted that we have appointed two very strong people who I have every confidence in them delivering the transformation plan for our business. I look forward to welcoming them both to the senior management team.”
Bede will take up his role at the end of April. The process to appoint a new editor for the Llanelli Star will begin immediately.
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Good on Miss Eastwood – and nice to see a young, female editor being given a chance. Still a rare thing!
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Good luck to them both, lets hope it all works out. I just wish new editors would find a more appropriate word than “exciting” to describe the future. “Challenging” would be nearer the mark.
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..or terrifying!
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I agree with Fresh coriander. ‘Challenging’ would be nearer the mark. Surely the Citizen and Echo will both be going weekly very soon and that will certainly provide a challenge! Best of luck to Miss Eastwood though!
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The Echo should have been weekly from the outset – it’s a county newspaper, not an urban one, because Cheltenham is county. But that’s water under the bridge. Good luck, Jen!
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Bede, congrats – this is great news. Thoroughly deserved.
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Congratulations to Bede, having worked with him for a number of years I know he’s an excellent leader and someone who will champion local journalism. Disappointment for Llanelli but a win for Somerset.
Best of luck.
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Everyone at Llanelli knows the tremendous input Bede has made, particularly into the newsdesk, and it’s very pleasing to see his efforts rewarded….
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Two great appointments! Well done Jenny and Bede.
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