The boss of one of Britain’s biggest regional dailies and the most senior editorial executive in Trinity Mirrror’s North-East operation has resigned after 22 years with the company.
Paul Robertson, editor of the Newcastle Evening Chronicle for the past eight years and editorial director of Trinity Mirror North-East, has decided to move on having recently overseen the Chronicle’s move to early-morning publication.
He said today: “Having project managed the recent change in the Chronicle publishing schedule, I think it’s now the right time for me to seek a fresh challenge.
“The team in the North East is outstanding and I would like to thank them all for their support.
“I will miss the place but most of all the people I have worked with, many of whom are friends as well as colleagues.
“I wish everyone at ncjMedia and GMC the best of luck and success for the future.”
Born and bred in Ashington, Northumberland, Paul became Chronicle editor in April 2002 in succession to Alison Hastings.
He had previously been editor of the Evening Gazette on Teesside since 2000 and prior to that was deputy editor of The Journal, Newcastle. He will leave the business on Friday 5 August.
A statement issued by Trinity Mirror today said: “After 22 highly successful years in the region, Paul Robertson has decided to leave the Trinity Mirror North East business.
“Paul has worked across all of the TM North East key titles in his career and over the last ten years has edited both the Evening Gazette and the Evening Chronicle.
“Under his editorship, many new platforms and campaigns have been created – including Your Health, Community Champions, Create a Business a Day, the Great Family Read, Tees Pride and Go Green.
“In addition Paul has been centrally involved in driving the multimedia agenda, overseeing the launch of ChronicleLive.
Newly-appointed regional managing director Bob Cuffe said: “Paul has been a passionate ambassador for our business – he’s been a positive influence across the region, and proud of the newspapers he’s worked on.
“Alongside his editorial skills, Paul’s always been very commercially aware, always eager to support his commercial colleagues. We wish him all the best in the future.
“Paul will be a tough act to follow, and I’ll be working on the future editorial structure in the weeks ahead.”
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Best of luck Paul – you’ve achieved so much. You’re a great editor, a nice guy to work with and most of all an editor with a commercial brain.
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The brain drain from Trinity Mirror in the North East continues.
Why on earth they are letting Paul Robertson go from Newcastle is beyond most of the troops here. The well regarded Ad Director is leaving too. Dispiriting.
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Don’t usually make a habit of commenting on my own stories but I’ll make an exception for Paul…..he will be really missed in Newcastle, seldom is an editor so identified with his local community as he is.
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A great guy, on the newsdesk, on the sports desk and in the editor’s chair. You will be much missed, Paul. We all wish you every success in whatever you turn to.
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Yet another member of the management team jumps ship, perhaps the two gentlemen (Mr Robertson & Mr Simms) have seen the future and came to the same conclusion as the ever decreasing readership. Newsprint is a dying industry who’s future lies in a small corner of the market and that market cannot sustain individual large Newsrooms. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the closure of the NCJ Media newsroom in the near future. Clearly Trinity Mirror have a plan and sacrificing large amounts of staff over the past few years looks like it hasn’t succeeded in securing the workforce on Tyneside.
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Paul was a fine reporter and a fair “open door” editor with a passion for the North East. Hopefully he won’t be lost to the industry or the region.
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Top editor. Loss to the industry. He’ll do well wherever he goes.
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“I’ll be working on the future editorial structure in the weeks ahead” Ominous clue to the future here, perhaps?
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Paul once gave me an absolute grilling at a job interview and made it the most uncomfortable 60 minutes I had ever spent in the office of an editor. It will stay with me for a long time to come! I was completely caught on the back foot and didn’t get the job, sadly. Good experience though.
Good luck with everything, Paul.
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At first I was gobsmacked at Paul’s resignation but it’s can’t have been easy presiding over a series of cuts and redundancies. During the previous redundancy process Paul said he would go if there were any more. Seems like Paul has stood by his word. The very best of luck to him.
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Can’t agree that he was a good editor.
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Paul’s resignation is not a surprise as he always fought for his staff and their jobs. His passion, committment and drive to produce the best each day has always been there, and being a recipient of the famous Robbo hairdrier, it still never put me off being able to approach him for advice or guidance. He’ll be a success wherever he goes such is the guy he is. Good luck Robbo
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