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{{Short description|British newspaper editor}} |
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'''Martin Townsend''' (born 11 July 1960) is a British journalist. He was the editor of the ''[[Sunday Express]]'' from 2001 to 2018.<ref name="PG20180806">{{cite news|last=Tobitt|first=Charlotte|url=https://www.pressgazette.co.uk/sunday-express-editor-martin-townsend-stepping-down-after-17-years/|title=Sunday Express editor Martin Townsend stepping down after 17 years at helm|work=Press Gazette|date=<!-- Monday -->6 August 2018|access-date=23 May 2020}}</ref> |
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== Education and career == |
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==Life== |
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| ⚫ | Townsend attended [[Harrow County School for Boys]] (which became [[Harrow High School]] in 1975) and the [[London College of Printing]]. He gained his first job as a journalist in 1979,<ref name="mind">"[http://www.mind.org.uk/News+policy+and+campaigns/Press/boyaward08.htm Sunday Express editor Martin Townsend wins Mind Book of the Year Award 2008]", Mind</ref> working on ''Caravan'' magazine, then was pop music correspondent at ''[[Today (UK newspaper)|Today]]''.<ref name="IndyLister">{{cite news|last=Lister|first=David|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/editing-its-a-business-thing-9211622.html|title=Editing? It's a business thing|work=The Independent|date=17 July 2001|access-date=23 May 2020}}</ref> |
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Townsend attended [[Harrow County School for Boys]], which became [[Harrow High School]] in 1975, and the [[London College of Printing]]. |
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| ⚫ | In 1987, Townsend became a freelance reporter, but in 1994 was appointed showbusiness editor of ''[[The Mail on Sunday]]''{{'}}s ''You'' magazine,<ref name="IndyLister" /> then in 1999 was appointed editor of ''[[OK!]]''. During his tenure, he persuaded [[Anthea Turner]] and Grant Bovey to pose with chocolate bars in their wedding photos, as part of a promotion. In 2001, he was appointed editor of the ''[[Sunday Express]]''.<ref>{{cite news|last=Hodgson|first=Jessica|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2001/may/22/dailyexpress.pressandpublishing2|title=Townsend OK! at the Sunday Express|work=The Guardian|date=22 May 2001|access-date=23 May 2020}}</ref> |
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| ⚫ | He |
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| ⚫ | In 2006, Townsend had a cameo role in the television series ''[[Hustle (TV series)|Hustle]]'' in which he, as editor of the ''Sunday Express'', bought an exposé story from some con men regarding the unscrupulous editor of a rival (fictional) Sunday newspaper.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/hustle/guest_stars.shtml|title = BBC - Drama - Hustle - Characters & Actors|website = www.bbc.co.uk|access-date = 2016-04-17}}</ref> |
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| ⚫ | In 1987, Townsend became a freelance reporter, but in 1994 was appointed showbusiness editor of |
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== Awards and recognition == |
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Townsend married Jane O'Gorman in 1989. They have two sons and a daughter.{{Citation needed|date=November 2009}} In 2001, he was appointed editor of the ''[[Sunday Express]]''.<ref>Jessica Hodgson, "[http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2001/may/22/dailyexpress.pressandpublishing2 Townsend OK! at the Sunday Express]", ''[[The Guardian]]'', 22 May 2001</ref> |
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Townsend left his job in early August 2018 during editorial changes at the Express Newspapers group which was initiated in February 2018.<ref name="PG20180806" /> [[Reach plc]] (formerly Trinity Mirror) bought the titles owned by Richard Desmond's [[Northern and Shell]] at that time. |
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| ⚫ | In 2006, Townsend had a cameo role in the television series [[Hustle (TV series)|Hustle]] in which he, as editor of the Sunday Express, bought an exposé story from some con men regarding the unscrupulous editor of a rival (fictional) Sunday newspaper.<ref> |
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Townsend was the [[ghost writer]] of (former) Express owner [[Richard Desmond]]'s autobiography, ''The Real Deal: The Autobiography of Britain's Most Controversial Media Mogul'' which was published in 2015.<ref name=Guard0ct14>{{cite news|last=Greenslade|first=Roy|authorlink=Roy Greenslade|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2014/oct/08/richard-desmond-nationalunionofjournalists|title=NUJ to Richard Desmond: sell Express Newspapers to someone who cares|date=8 October 2014|work=The Guardian|accessdate=8 June 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/06/19/richard-desmond-autobiography-review-daily-express_n_7621644.html|title=Richard Desmond's Autobiography Gets Five Stars In The Daily Express - His Own Newspaper|last=Harris|first=Sarah Ann|work=The Huffington Post|date=19 June 2015|accessdate=24 June 2015}}</ref> [[Lynn Barber]], in her ''[[The Sunday Times|Sunday Times]]'' review wrote that "the bulk of this memoir, about getting on, is a ripping yarn, fluently and wittily told".<ref>{{cite news|last=Barber|first=Lynn|url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-real-deal-the-autobiography-of-britains-most-controversial-media-mogul-by-richard-desmond-l96hbcm7jbd|title=The Real Deal: The Autobiography of Britain's Most Controversial Media Mogul by Richard Desmond|work=The Sunday Times|date=21 June 2015|access-date=23 May 2020}} {{subscription required}}</ref> |
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In late 2018, it was announced Townsend had been appointed by the public relations company Pagefield as a partner.<ref>{{cite news|last=Hickman|first=Arvind|url=https://www.prweek.com/article/1519759/pagefield-grows-senior-team-biggest-recruitment-drive-date|title=Pagefield grows senior team in 'biggest recruitment drive' to date|work=PR Week|date=28 November 2018|access-date=23 May 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Walker|first=James|url=https://www.pressgazette.co.uk/former-sunday-express-editor-martin-townsend-moves-into-pr-after-newspaper-exit/|title=Former Sunday Express editor Martin Townsend moves into PR after newspaper exit|work=Press Gazette|date=28 November 2018|access-date=23 May 2020}}</ref> The company's clients include [[Camelot Group|Camelot]] which is the franchise holder for the [[National Lottery (United Kingdom)|National Lottery]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Gill|first1=Oliver|last2=Williams|first2=Christopher|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2019/11/23/amid-25-years-broken-promises-can-camelot-hold-onto-national/|title=After 25 years of broken promises can Camelot hold onto the National Lottery?|work=The Sunday Telegraph|date=<!-- Saturday, 20.30 (GMT) -->23 November 2019|access-date=23 May 2020}}</ref> |
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<references /> |
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== Personal life == |
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==External links== |
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In 1989, Townsend married Jane O'Gorman. The couple have two sons and a daughter. O'Gorman has worked at the ''Daily Star'' as the paper's agony aunt.<ref name="IndyLister" /><ref>{{cite book|last=Townsend|first=Martin|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=c9KfrU10neMC&pg=PA407|title=The Father I Had|location=London|publisher=Corgi|year=2008|orig-year=2007|page=407|isbn=9780552155199}}</ref> |
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* [http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2001/may/22/dailyexpress.pressandpublishing2 ''Guardian'' May 2001] |
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{{s-bef|before=Michael Pilgrim}} |
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{{incumbent succession box|title=Editor of the ''[[Sunday Express]]''|start=2001|before=[[Michael Pilgrim (journalist)|Michael Pilgrim]]}} |
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{{s-ttl|title=Editor of the ''[[Sunday Express]]''|years=2001–2018}} |
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{{s-aft|after=[[Gary Jones (journalist)|Gary Jones]]}} |
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{{Express newspapers}} |
{{Express newspapers}} |
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{{UK newspaper editors}} |
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{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. --> |
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| NAME = Townsend, Martin |
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| ALTERNATIVE NAMES = |
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| SHORT DESCRIPTION = |
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| DATE OF BIRTH = 11 July 1960 |
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| PLACE OF BIRTH = |
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| DATE OF DEATH = |
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| PLACE OF DEATH = |
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}} |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Townsend, Martin}} |
{{DEFAULTSORT:Townsend, Martin}} |
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[[Category:1960 births]] |
[[Category:1960 births]] |
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[[Category:Living people]] |
[[Category:Living people]] |
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[[Category:Alumni of the London College of Printing]] |
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[[Category:British newspaper editors]] |
[[Category:British newspaper editors]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:People educated at Harrow High School]] |
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[[Category:People from Harrow, London]] |
[[Category:People from Harrow, London]] |
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Latest revision as of 06:31, 30 April 2024
Martin Townsend (born 11 July 1960) is a British journalist. He was the editor of the Sunday Express from 2001 to 2018.[1]
Education and career
[edit]Townsend attended Harrow County School for Boys (which became Harrow High School in 1975) and the London College of Printing. He gained his first job as a journalist in 1979,[2] working on Caravan magazine, then was pop music correspondent at Today.[3]
In 1987, Townsend became a freelance reporter, but in 1994 was appointed showbusiness editor of The Mail on Sunday's You magazine,[3] then in 1999 was appointed editor of OK!. During his tenure, he persuaded Anthea Turner and Grant Bovey to pose with chocolate bars in their wedding photos, as part of a promotion. In 2001, he was appointed editor of the Sunday Express.[4]
In 2006, Townsend had a cameo role in the television series Hustle in which he, as editor of the Sunday Express, bought an exposé story from some con men regarding the unscrupulous editor of a rival (fictional) Sunday newspaper.[5]
Awards and recognition
[edit]In 2007, Townsend published The Father I Had, an autobiographical account of his relationship with his father, who had bipolar disorder. This won the Mind Book of the Year Award 2008.[2]
Townsend left his job in early August 2018 during editorial changes at the Express Newspapers group which was initiated in February 2018.[1] Reach plc (formerly Trinity Mirror) bought the titles owned by Richard Desmond's Northern and Shell at that time.
Townsend was the ghost writer of (former) Express owner Richard Desmond's autobiography, The Real Deal: The Autobiography of Britain's Most Controversial Media Mogul which was published in 2015.[6][7] Lynn Barber, in her Sunday Times review wrote that "the bulk of this memoir, about getting on, is a ripping yarn, fluently and wittily told".[8]
In late 2018, it was announced Townsend had been appointed by the public relations company Pagefield as a partner.[9][10] The company's clients include Camelot which is the franchise holder for the National Lottery.[11]
Personal life
[edit]In 1989, Townsend married Jane O'Gorman. The couple have two sons and a daughter. O'Gorman has worked at the Daily Star as the paper's agony aunt.[3][12]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Tobitt, Charlotte (6 August 2018). "Sunday Express editor Martin Townsend stepping down after 17 years at helm". Press Gazette. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
- ^ a b "Sunday Express editor Martin Townsend wins Mind Book of the Year Award 2008", Mind
- ^ a b c Lister, David (17 July 2001). "Editing? It's a business thing". The Independent. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
- ^ Hodgson, Jessica (22 May 2001). "Townsend OK! at the Sunday Express". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
- ^ "BBC - Drama - Hustle - Characters & Actors". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-04-17.
- ^ Greenslade, Roy (8 October 2014). "NUJ to Richard Desmond: sell Express Newspapers to someone who cares". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
- ^ Harris, Sarah Ann (19 June 2015). "Richard Desmond's Autobiography Gets Five Stars In The Daily Express - His Own Newspaper". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
- ^ Barber, Lynn (21 June 2015). "The Real Deal: The Autobiography of Britain's Most Controversial Media Mogul by Richard Desmond". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 23 May 2020. (subscription required)
- ^ Hickman, Arvind (28 November 2018). "Pagefield grows senior team in 'biggest recruitment drive' to date". PR Week. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
- ^ Walker, James (28 November 2018). "Former Sunday Express editor Martin Townsend moves into PR after newspaper exit". Press Gazette. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
- ^ Gill, Oliver; Williams, Christopher (23 November 2019). "After 25 years of broken promises can Camelot hold onto the National Lottery?". The Sunday Telegraph. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
- ^ Townsend, Martin (2008) [2007]. The Father I Had. London: Corgi. p. 407. ISBN 9780552155199.
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