The new president of the Newspaper Society has pledged to speak up “loud and clear” for the local press as she became its first woman president today.

Georgina Harvey, managing director of Trinity Mirror Regionals, takes over from Iliffe News and Media’s David Fordham whose one-year term of office has now ended.

She said: “This is a really exciting time to have been elected president as local media is becoming ever more important – to readers, to advertisers and to society as a whole.

“Paradoxically, in an era obsessed with all things global, life has become increasingly local. Regional media is the bedrock of local democracy, fiercely independent and with a proud tradition of holding those in authority to account.

“The key strengths of the regional press are an unrivalled and growing audience reach, a unique and trusted relationship with readers and the delivery of a powerful medium for advertisers.

“I’m looking forward to championing local media through the NS to ensure that our voice is heard loud and clear and that we remain a vital force with a healthy future.”

Georgina started her media career at the Daily Express where she rose to advertising director.

She joined IPC Media in 1995 as group advertising sales director for South Bank and went on to create IPC Advertising in 1998, where she was managing director.

She became a member of the board of IPC Media in 2000 and was subsequently appointed managing director of Wallpaper Group in 2003 before joining Trinity Mirror in February 2005.

Today’s changes also see Geraldine Allinson, chairman of the KM Group, become NS vice president.

Comments

Ex-Ed (02/07/2010 10:05:29)
The first female president of the NS, but the same inane platitudes and unjustified assertions about the ‘strength’ of the regional press.

TM Insider (02/07/2010 12:32:57)
“local media is becoming ever more important”…..less readers, less titles, another big quarterly fall in advertising…not an original thought in her head.

FAST WOMAN (02/07/2010 15:35:29)
TM Insider: it’s fewer, not less. As in “It seems to me that the fewer skilled journalists we employ, the less chance there is of this smokescreen we call ‘the business model’ actually working.”