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Gilson makes it five as he quits Bel Tel for Brighton

Mike Gilson, newly appointed Editor of the Belfast Telegraph.Mike Gilson has quit the award-winning Belfast Telegraph to take on the challenge of reviving Brighton daily The Argus.

The current Northern Irish journalist of the year, Mike has edited the Bel Tel for the past five years.

Now he is moving back to the mainland as group editor of Newsquest Sussex and editor of The Argus.

The surprise move marks a fifth regional editprship for Mike, left, who has also previously edited The Scotsman, The News, Portsmouth and the Peterborough Telegraph.

He joins The Argus in succession to Michael Beard, who left at the end of last month to take up a PR role with Public Health England.

The paper has seen some of the biggest circulation declines in the industry over recent years, with the average daily sale now down to 14,370 according to the most recent ABC figures.

Said Mike: “I am tremendously excited about taking on the opportunity in Brighton. It is a fantastically dynamic place and the newspaper and digital platforms under me will reflect that.

“We will be challenging when we need to be and supportive at other times. We will be at the centre of debate and, at the core of everything; our journalism will be vital and trustworthy.

“I have a track record at producing compelling newspapers and websites. This will continue.”

Under Mike, the Bel Tel was named UK Regional Newspaper of the Year in 2011 and has been named Northern Irish Newspaper of the Year in four out of the last five years.

Managing director of Newsquest Sussex Dawn Sweeney said: “I am delighted to welcome Mike to The Argus.

“He is an experienced Editor with an outstanding pedigree and I look forward to working with him in the New Year to further develop The Argus print and online platforms.”

5 comments

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  • December 19, 2014 at 11:00 am
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    Good luck to him but it sounds like an uphill struggle, I hope he gets the editorial investment he wants.

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  • December 19, 2014 at 1:27 pm
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    Good luck Mike – if you ever need a News Editor !!! ROFL!

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  • December 19, 2014 at 4:04 pm
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    Do Mike’s skills include loaves and fishes miracles? Everyone inside and outside the Argus knows staffing numbers are lamentable at Hellingbury. Will he have the guts to stand up for improvements or like so many group eds just meekly talk a good game and do the bidding of head office muppets? Time will tell.
    Good luck to him and the Staff, who deserve better treatment.
    The first thing he must do is decide if the Argus wants to be a Whole of Sussex paper or concentrate on increasing its very poor sales in Brighton. He can’t do both unless he signs up a few district reporters so Brighton staff can cover Brighton properly.
    Dont suppose any of that was mentioned at interview?
    All best to him.

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  • January 2, 2015 at 3:35 pm
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    Brighton deserves a good daily paper of its own. Even the once popular weeklies have feeble sales in rest of Sussex . it is only bought outside Brighton for its Brighton football coverage, so unless more paid writers are hired(zilch chance) it makes sense to circle the wagons around Brighton. Good luck to Mike, but long term fans of Argus have seen only managed decline and that is a sad fact.

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