Saturday, April 08, 2006
News Letter Editor Resigns
Austin Hunter has resigned as the editor of the News Letter.
His tenure as editor was a commercial success with some growth in sales, the paper became more mainstream Unionist again in its stance but the David Montgomery inspired plan of the News Letter becoming the focus of a “Positively Protestant” debate never really developed (hampered by the poor quality, and disinterest in such a debate, of its journalists).
Who will replace him? What changes should a new editor make? A decent non-UUP Unionist columnist of the standard of Alex Kane would be nice - Stalford’s replacement produces uninspiring material reading far too much like a party press statement. An investigative journalist on equality issues affecting the Unionist community would be useful too.
Fair Deal @ 01:24 PM
Mark
Garland may indeed be a Protestant and a very small u unionist, but he hardly says anything that offends the sensitivities of the readers of the Irish News.
Posted by on Apr 13, 2006 @ 11:23 AMThe News Letter needs to change to an evening daily and put itself up in direct competition to the Belfast Telegraph.
I rarely buy the latter now myself due to its poor quality (in my opinion), but with its monopoly position for Job adverts etc it is reaping huge and outrageous profits.
There is clearly room for another evening paper to share in this market, expand it further and drive up choice and quality.
There is no long term sustainable market for the News Letter trying to compete with the morning tabloids.
They should take on the Telegraph instead - until they take a risk like that it doesnt matter who the editor is as it is going nowhere
Posted by on Apr 13, 2006 @ 12:31 PMWhen Austin Hunter became Editor-in Chief of The Newsletter two years ago it was like a refreshing wind blowing across Ulster.Hitherto for decades this paper was simply a propaganda vehicle for the NIO and latterly for David Trimble’s office and the so called “Good Friday Agreement”
Mr. Hunter totally transformed this media mess.In a very short time from he took over the days of dis-information were gone.We were now given the news factually and without bias! and shody political journalism was a thing of the past.
From Austin’s emergence, readers were given Hope, and the circulation of the paper increased.
Are now back to the days of O,Neill when the great, the good and ther chattering classes had a censored media.Posted by on Apr 15, 2006 @ 08:34 PM
