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Former regional daily editor bows out after almost 50 years in newspapers

Kie MiskellyA former regional daily editor is retiring from newspapers after a career lasting almost half a century.

Kie Miskelly, left, who edited the Shields Gazette and Peterborough Evening Telegraph, has announced he is leaving the industry after spending the past 17 years in charge of the Scottish edition of Metro.

Kie’s career also saw him work in apartheid-era South Africa from 1971 to 1974, where his uncle John Miskelly edited the Weekend World newspaper.

The Cumbrian native, who began his career on the Penrith Observer in 1968, now intends to head back to the Lake District.

Said Kie: “I’ve got to say I’ve loved every minute of my life in newspapers. My grandfather always told me ‘find a job you love and you’ll not work a day in your life’. How right he was.

“But when I walked through the front door of the Observer office on that cold January morning if someone had told me I would end up editing seven newspapers I wouldn’t have believed them.”

After moving to the News & Star in Carlisle in 1969 to finish his training, he then moved to South Africa for three years before a spell on newspapers in the North-East of England, including The Journal, Northern Echo, Evening Gazette and Evening Chronicle.

This was followed by a move to the Swindon Advertiser, where he was chief sub-editor, before a return to the North-East, where he replaced three editors to take charge of the Whitley Bay Guardian, Shields and Wallsend Weekly News, as well as serving as launch editor of the News Post Leader.

Kie spent five years editing the Shields Gazette before being headhunted to run the Peterborough Evening Telegraph, where he spent a further five years.

He later returned to the north-east as night editor of The Journal before moving to the Scottish Daily Express in Glasgow and then on to the Metro.

Kie added: “It would be hard to say which newspapers I’ve enjoyed the most but I think working in apartheid-era South Africa on a newspaper for Africans in Johannesburg with my uncle, who was a brilliant journalist, would be near the top.

“My 17 years at Metro have been incredible too. I have Kenny Campbell to thank for taking me on all those years ago. As soon as he showed me the front page I just knew I wanted to work for Metro. But if I had to pick just one paper, at a push, I’d say the Shields Gazette. I had a small but amazing team and we pushed the circulation up every year I was there.

“Will I miss newspapers? I don’t think you can ever leave journalism, the news is around you all the time. I might not be involved but I’ll be drawing imaginary front pages in my head when big stories break.

“I’m leaving behind an incredibly talented team at Metro, who will continue to put out a great newspaper. I wish them well.”

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  • May 2, 2017 at 10:48 am
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    It’s a shame the industry has lost another excellent journalist. It was my pleasure to work with Kie on the Scottish Daily Express. Enjoy retirement, Kie.

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  • May 2, 2017 at 11:23 am
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    I learned to sub with Kie on the Shields Gazette, and it was great to be part of his team at Chapter Row. Nice guy and talented journalist. Enjoy your retirement!

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