A regional daily editor is to leave his role after 15 years in a regional publishing group’s latest restructure.
Staff at the Newsquest-owned Lancashire Telegraph were told on Friday that long-standing editor Kevin Young, pictured left, had been placed on gardening leave, and would leave the business on 31 July.
The move is believed to have come about as part of an “organisational restructure” in Newsquest’s North West division and followed a meeting between Kevin and regional managing director Nick Fellows on Thursday.
It is understood the Blackburn-based Telegraph’s features editor John Anson is looking after the paper in Kevin’s absence with deputy editor Alan Simpson currently on holiday.
Kevin took up the Telegraph’s editorship in June 2000 following the departure of Peter Butterfield, who himself had been in charge there for the previous 15 years.
He is only the 11th person to hold the role since the newspaper was founded in 1886.
In November seven editorial staff were made redundant from the Telegraph, which led to the axing of its free sister weekly the Burnley Citizen.
A number of subbing jobs were also lost at the title earlier in 2014 as part of Newsquest’s transfer of much of its production operation to a hub in Newport.
Kevin began his career as a reporter at the Luton News and then joined the Coventry Evening Telegraph, where he became industry correspondent before being promoted to sub-editor.
After that he served as page one splash sub at the Express & Star, Wolverhampton, before taking on the deputy editorship of the Bradford Telegraph & Argus.
No-one from Newsquest North West has so far responded to requests for a comment.
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And poor old Kevin doesn’t even get the customary chance to mouth a few platitudes about how he’s loved working for the paper all those years, its passion and commitment to the community it serves, his splendid colleagues, and why it’s time for him to move on to asphalt-laying or supermarket shelf-stacking. Best of luck, sir.
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“You’re going to need a bigger boat”
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Good bloke – not that I’ve seen him since his time on the E&S.
A reflection of the thoughtful and considered way in which Newsquest makes such changes that he gets the bullet when his (equally long-serving) deputy is on holiday.
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Gardening leave until the end of July? Lets hope he doesn’t have much weeding to do they’ve given him barely two weeks to come to terms with his new circumstances.
Good old Newsquest have applied their usual charm to dealing with a loyal worker.
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I remember working at the T&A as Bingley reporter from 1998 to 2001.
One day I asked Kevin why he didn’t play in the Five-a-side team.
His succinct reply was: “There’s too many here who would take me out at head-height, Robert!”
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I agree with Ian Halstead. All too often this seems to happen these days, gutless management who wouldn;’t know a decent story if they fell over it, having the power to further destroy.
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….where he became industry correspondent before being promoted to sub-editor.
Looks like Kevin has lost his own relegation battle. Good luck, Kevin. It’s a good world outside (Call Northside 777).
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“Gutless management who wouldn’t know a decent story if they fell over it.”
Story? They’re called “content” these day. Get with the buzz, you’re sounding like a dinosaur – or a real journalist.
Second thoughts, they are now looked on as one and the same.
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I worked under Kevin at the LET (as it was known) for many years and he was a thoroughly good operator. He loved the paper, was always fair and only had one thing he wanted to do every day – bring out the best paper he could. He was good to work for – rare these days, and every day was different. Sounds like he’s been treated awfully – hope he bounces back. If he finds a new job outside of newspapers he’ll be a much happier man. Good luck Kev.
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I used to love the 80s cartoon Transformers, because its catchline was ‘more than meets the eye’.
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Since when was someone ‘promoted’ from a specialist reporting role to the subs’ table? A sideways move at best, I’d say.
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Kevin worked his newsroom hard but created a very strong newspaper as a result. This is a very shoddy way to treat someone who has driven through some very unpopular changes to keep newsquest’s bosses happy over the years. The timing also suggests it is a panic reaction to save cash. Good luck Kevin
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And still no use of the organisational restructure passed onto staff yet!
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It looks like has been made to pay for the collapse in sale following the disasterous cover price increase a year or so ago. Good luck Kevin you’ll be missed.
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Nice to see mention of Peter Butterfield in this article. A very good editor, great communicator, a good listener and, crucially, he knew when he was wrong.
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Kevin turned an established, respected community newspaper into a campaigning voice and in the process dragged it into the 21st century ahead of its time in many respects.
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Dick Turpin, I can tell you’re not a sub. Use the spellcheck if you can’t be bothered to learn to spell.
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i think everyone knows this means the sale of newspaper house and a relocation to bolton
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The paper became press release-driven dross under his editorship, although it has been clear to any observer that the headcount is far too low – not his responsibility.
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If @gongoozlers mate is correct then it’s a real shift in thinking: for years, it seemed as if everything from Bolton was going to Blackburn (the subs being a case in point) but now Bolton is home to the Bury Times, the Leigh Journal and the Messenger series (including Sale and Trafford). Who says local papers are dead, eh?
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