Long-serving Argus editor Gerry Keighley to leave after 18 years

South Wales Argues editor Gerry Keighley is leaving the paper after 18 years at the helm.

Keighley has been in the position since 1994 and is also regional managing editor of Newsquest Wales and Gloucestershire. He leaves the company on 29 February ‘to pursue other challenges”.

In a story in the Argus, Keighley said:

I’ve been extremely proud to run the Argus for so long. Editing a daily paper is a unique privilege. I will be terribly sad to leave some talented and hard-working people behind.

I want to try my hand at something different now and see if there really is life after newspapers.

Kevin Ward, Newsquest publisher for East Wales and Gloucestershire and former deputy editor of the Argus and editor of the Worcester News, has been appointed editor and regional managing editor of the paper, a role he takes up his post on 1 March.

The Argus story said:

During his time as editor, the Argus won a number of awards, including Welsh Daily Newspaper of the Year and the Newspaper Society Campaigning Newspaper of the Year.

It was also the fastest-growing daily newspaper in Britain for three successive years.

Among the campaigns fought during his time was our successful Justice for Miners campaign to speed up compensation to ailing pitmen which helped release £2 billion to victims and their families, along with the campaign to keep jobs at Newport’s Passport Office and the successful Sparkle Appeal for the £10 million treatment centre for disabled children at High Cross.

The Argus also campaigned strongly for Newport’s city status under his leadership, something awarded in 2002.

Meanwhile, the Edinburgh Evening News has appointed Frank O’Donnell as its new editor.

He replaces Tom Little, who announced in December he was leaving the paper to become head of policy and public affairs at the City of Edinburgh Council.

O’Donnell was formerly assistant editor (group head of news) at The Scotsman and Scotland on Sunday.