Regional publisher Newsquest has announced the creation of an editor-in-chief role for its two Dorset dailies with Neal Butterworth, editor of the Daily Echo, Bournemouth, stepping up to the role.

Neal, 50, who has been editor of the Echo for ten years, will now also have editorial oversight of the Dorset Echo, based in Weymouth.

The announcement closely follows the appointment of Oxford Mail deputy editor Toby Granville as editor of the Dorset Echo, as revealed on HoldtheFrontPage yesterday.

A statement from Newsquest said Neal would be “working closely” with the newly-appointed editor as well as retaining responsibility for the editorship of the Bournemouth title.

Neal was born in Manchester and after attending Manchester Grammar School spent three seasons in his teens playing for Manchester City – despite being a lifelong United fan.

He eventually became a journalist and at one time was the youngest newspaper editor in the country at the age of 23.

Since moving south in 1987, he has worked as an editor within Southern Newspapers, now part of Newsquest, until becoming editor of the Daily Echo and Advertiser Series in 1998.

Under his editorship the paper has won several awards, including Daily Newspaper of the Year for London and the South in 2006.

Last year, Neal was named Columnist of the Year in the same awards and also received an honorary doctorate from Bournemouth University for his contribution to the town.

New Dorset Echo editor Toby succeeds Dave Murdock, who left in the summer to join the PR agency started by Gareth Weekes – Neal’s predecessor in the Daily Echo chair.

Comments

Ivy Likes (08/10/2008 21:52:33)
As everyone at Weymouth already knows, the Bournemouth Echo continues its quest to swallow the Weymouth paper. Butterworth has been appointed as a hatchet man and jobs will go at Weymouth.