A regional daily editor has quit his role with immediate effect after six years in charge.
Kevan Blackadder, editor of the Cheltenham-based Gloucestershire Echo, stood down from his position yesterday.
Matt Holmes, currently serving as deputy editor of its Local World-owned sister title, The Citizen, Gloucester, has been appointed to take over from Kevan.
Kevan, who had been editor since July 2008, becomes the tenth regional daily editor to leave his role since May.
Kevan Blackadder (left), who will be replaced by Matt Holmes (right) as editor of the Gloucestershire Echo
He said: “I have been proud to edit the Echo for the last six years, during which time I worked with some incredibly talented and committed staff across all departments.
“The current team of journalists on the Echo are typical of the excellence that continues to exist in most regional newsrooms, producing fine newspapers and great online content.”
Kevan began his career with his hometown newspaper The Whitehaven News and also worked for the Sunday Independent, in Plymouth.
He later moved to the Bristol Post, where he held various roles including health reporter, news editor and assistant editor befoer landing the Echo job.
Matt joined The Citizen in 1996 and has had various roles from news editor to digital editor and more recently content editor for Gloucestershire Media.
He said: “I am incredibly excited to take on this role with such a fabulous team and great products, and am looking forward to an exciting time ahead.”
Kevan becomes the third editor in the Local World newspaper group to have left his job since the summer, following the departures of Richard Bettsworth at the Leicester Mercury and Richard Bowyer at The Sentinel, Stoke.
Other daily editors to have left their jobs this year include Dave Brookes (Birmingham Mail), Alun Thorne (Coventry Telegraph), Brian Aitken (The Journal, Newcastle), Tim Gordon (South Wales Echo), John Szymanski (Sunderland Echo), Michael Beard (The Argus, Brighton) and Colin Channon (The Echo, South Essex, and the Colchester Gazette).
Sign up for our free daily email bulletin
Follow HTFP on Twitter
Got a story? Email the Editor at
Another one? Are they falling on swords or being pushed? I think we should be told.
Report this comment
Another addition to the secret warehouse.
Report this comment
Seems to be an age-related cull right across the industry…time to dig out the toupes, snappy suits, and bright red braces if editors don’t want to be replaced by younger blood.
Report this comment
Blackadder goes forth
Report this comment
Shame about Kevin but the Echo is in good hands with Matt Holmes.
Report this comment
Mike, Stroud – I’m sure it is a “shame about Kevin” but what’s happened? Matt Holmes’ trustworthy hands aren’t the news here… so what is the story?
Report this comment
What no Baldrick jokes? What’s the world coming to?
Report this comment
Shame one more LW ed hadn’t already left this year, then you’d be able to use Blackadder Goes Fourth as a legitimate headline.
Report this comment
Interesting to note an abrupt end to his tweets…
twitter.com/KevanBlackadder
Report this comment
Can we get an answer to the question we’re all asking; what’s going on with the chap on the right’s hair?
Report this comment
This culling of editors makes no sense whatsoever. They are mainly old school so I wonder if they’ve just had enough of the constant interfering and the erosion of investment in editorial …..
Report this comment
Matt’s got the jargon for modern editor. “great products”. Doncha luvit. Selling soap are we?
Report this comment
He can’t afford the toupee…
Report this comment
Vidal – I think it’s the ‘digital cut’ giving hipster and therefore online visionary credentials. You probably didn’t identify it as it wasn’t coupled with the usual square glasses and carefully trimmed beard.
Report this comment
It’s not a case of newly-appointed editors speaking the jargon, it’s more the standard copy and paste press release companies now send out in these cases. Apart from PR departments, nobody talks like that.
Report this comment
I’m getting regular calls recently from a number of Editorial professionals across the industry asking me to keep my eye out for other opportunities for them. Happening a lot lately!
Report this comment
Altogether now: “It’s fun to work at BGSD!!”
Report this comment
That’s a North Korean style barnet if ever I saw one …
Report this comment