Martin Townsend (journalist): Difference between revisions
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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="lister">David Lister, "[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/editing-its-a-business-thing-677953.html Editing? It's a business thing]", ''[[The Independent]]'', 17 July 2001</ref> |
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="lister">David Lister, "[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/editing-its-a-business-thing-677953.html Editing? It's a business thing]", ''[[The Independent]]'', 17 July 2001</ref> |
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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="lister" /> 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> |
In 1987, Townsend became a freelance reporter, but in 1994 was appointed showbusiness editor of ''[[The Mail on Sunday]]''{{'}}s ''You'' magazine,<ref name="lister" /> 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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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> |
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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Revision as of 12:21, 23 May 2020
Martin Townsend (born 11 July 1960) is a British journalist. He was the editor of the Sunday Express from 2001 to 2018.[1]
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]
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 a major editorial shake-up of the Express Newspapers group which was initiated in February 2018.[1] The reorganisation of senior editorial staff began when Reach plc (formerly Trinity Mirror)[6] bought the titles owned by Richard Desmond's Northern and Shell in a £127m deal (£184m including pension liability).[7]
The Editors of the Daily Express and the Daily Star left immediately after Reach took over editorial control of the titles in February 2018.[8] Townsend left three days after the departure of Stuart James, editor of sister paper The Star on Sunday[9] in July 2018[10]
Townsend was the ghost writer of Express owner Richard Desmond's autobiography, The Real Deal: The Autobiography of Britain's Most Controversial Media Mogul which was published in 2015.[11][12] 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".[13]
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.[14][15]
References
- ^ 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 David Lister, "Editing? It's a business thing", The Independent, 17 July 2001
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Trinity Mirror to rebrand as Reach after Express acquisition". Retrieved 2018-09-30.
- ^ "Trinity Mirror finally buys Northern & Shell titles in £184m deal". Retrieved 2018-09-30.
- ^ Sweney, Mark (9 February 2018). "Trinity Mirror buys Express and Star in £200m deal". the Guardian. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
- ^ "PressReader.com - Connecting People Through News". www.pressreader.com. Retrieved 2018-10-01.
- ^ "Daily Star Sunday editor Stuart James steps down, sources say – Press Gazette". www.pressgazette.co.uk. Retrieved 2018-10-01.
- ^ 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)
- ^ Townsend, Martin (2008) [2007]. The Father I Had. London: Corgi. p. 407.
- ^ Lister, David (17 July 2001). "Editing? It's a business thing". The Independent. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
External links
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