Belfast Telegraph editor Martin Lindsay has announced he is to retire in September after 47 years in journalism.
Lindsay has edited the 139-year-old daily since 2005, when he took over from Ed Curran, now editor-in-chief of all of Independent News and Media’s northern Irish papers.
Announcing the move in today’s paper, Lindsay said: “I have had a wonderful four years editing the Belfast Telegraph, but all good things come to an end and I intend to retire at the end of the summer.
“I leave a paper that is in very good health indeed, with a successful transformation into compact format earlier this year, confirming its position as Northern Ireland’s pre-eminent newspaper.
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He added: “The media industry in general is going through a difficult period, but I have no doubt that the ‘Tele’ and the other papers in its stable will continue to develop and embrace the challenges of this multimedia age.
“I will be leaving behind many good friends and dear colleagues who have always hugely impressed me with their professionalism, flair and work ethic.”
Lindsay began his career on Farm Week in 1962 and, after a brief period at the East Antrim Times, joined the Belfast Telegraph as a reporter.
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He rose through the ranks to deputy editor before switching to the Telegraph’s sister paper, Sunday Life, which he edited from 1993 to 2005.
Independent News and Media chief executive Ivan Fallon said: “Martin Lindsay’s long and distinguished career, which spans nearly half a century, represents all that is best in Northern Ireland journalism: fearlessness, professionalism, intelligence and, above all, integrity.
“He has done the Belfast Group proud over many years, including a highly successful time as campaigning editor of Sunday Life where he carried many an exposure and scoop, and then as editor of the ‘Tele’ as he always affectionately called it.
“We at INM are very proud of him and wish him well in his retirement.”
The Belfast Telegraph was one of the UK’s last daily regional papers to fully switch from broadsheet to tabloid earlier this year.
The morning edition of the paper has been compact since 2005, while the evening version remained broadsheet until this March.
In the second half of 2008, according to ABC, the Belfast Telegraph’s average daily circulation was 60,179, down 8.1 per cent year on year.
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