The editor of the Belfast Telegraph has announced his retirement.

Martin Lindsay, left, has been in the hot seat since 2005 and oversaw the title’s recent switch to compact size after 139 years of broadsheet publishing.

He will finish on 4 September and bring to an end a 47-year journalism career, the majority of which has been spent with the group’s titles, the Telegraph reports today.

Martin said: “I have had a wonderful four years editing the Belfast Telegraph, but all good things come to an end and I intend to retire at the end of the summer.

“I leave a paper that is in very good health indeed, with a successful transformation into compact format earlier this year, confirming its position as Northern Ireland’s pre-eminent newspaper.

“The media industry in general is going through a difficult period, but I have no doubt that the ‘Tele’ and the other papers in its stable will continue to develop and embrace the challenges of this multimedia age.

“I will be leaving behind many good friends and dear colleagues who have always hugely impressed me with their professionalism, flair and work ethic.”

He began his career with agricultural title Farm Week, followed by a stint with the East Antrim Times after which he joined the Belfast Telegraph in the mid 1960s.

Among the roles he performed were chief reporter, deputy news editor and deputy editor, broken by a year spent with the Daily Express, in Glasgow.

He also spent 12 years as editor of the Telegraph’s sister weekly Sunday Life which recently appointed Martin Breen as its new editor following the departure of Jim Flanagan.

Comments

Chris Rushton (09/07/2009 14:26:43)
Martin was a truly great editor of the Sunday Life and knew more about popular journalism than most of his better known peers on the mainland. He deserves a long and enjoyable retirement.