Economist editor Bill Emmott announced today that he will step down after nearly 13 years in the post.
Emmott will remain in the post until a new editor has been appointed by the Economist Group board and approved by the company’s four trustees.
The first round of interviews is expected to be held on 14 March, and an appointment could be made as early as 21 March.
“I have had a fantastic time, doing what I think is the best job in journalism, editing the best current affairs publication in the world, but now feel that the moment has come to hand over to someone else,” said Emmott.
He told staff that he planned to return to writing books, including one about the growing rivalry between China and Japan. Emmott has already authored or co-authored six books, four of them about Japan.
Emmott also said that he "can’t imagine wanting to be editor of any other publication”.
Emmott, 49, joined The Economist in 1980 as a junior Brussels correspondent. He served as economics correspondent, Tokyo correspondent , finance editor and business affairs editor before being appointed the magazine’s 15th editor in 1993.
Economist Group chairman Sir Robert Wilson said: “Bill is stepping down after nearly 13 years as a highly successful editor of The Economist. During this period, circulation of the newspaper more than doubled to well over one million copies a week. He achieved this while setting ever-higher standards of analysis and commentary for the paper. He will surely be remembered as one of the great editors of The Economist.”
ABC figures released last week showed the Economist‘s worldwide average circulation (excluding the Americas) in the past six months was up 4.5 per cent on last year.
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