Peter Charlton: in the Post
Sheffield Star editor Peter Charlton has been welcomed by staff at the Yorkshire Post after news that he is to take over the editorship vacated by Rachael Campey.
She resigned from the paper two weeks ago (Press Gazette, 24 September), after making a series of changes to the morning title which had not always been popular with staff. NUJ members passed a motion of no confidence in February after the job of women’s editor Jill Armstrong came under threat.
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Charlton is more of a Johnston Press insider than Campey was, having edited the company’s evening title the Sheffield Star for 12 years.
Campey came to the Post after being deputy news editor of The Times, and she previously edited two Northcliffe newspapers, the Express and Echo in Exeter and the Evening Herald in Plymouth. The Star’s last six-month circulation figure was 74,914 (down 7.2 per cent year-on-year) compared with the Yorkshire Post on 61,691 (down 4.5 per cent).
Prior to that, Charlton was editor of the Blackpool Gazette and deputy editor of the Lancashire Evening Post. He started his career in his home town of Workington, Cumbria, working on the Evening Star.
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He said: “Yorkshire’s national newspaper has a long and varied history and a reputation for fine campaigning journalism which I intend to continue.”
Post journalists were told of the appointment on Wednesday and appear to have welcomed the move.
Charlton starts his new job on Monday.
One Post insider said: “We are very pleased indeed. He’s known to be a good editor and a nice guy who treats his staff well. After the 18 months we have had under Campey, we will welcome him with open arms.”
By Dominic Ponsford
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