February 6, 2017

Brighton Argus announces second change of editor within as many months

The Brighton Argus has appointed a new editor following the sudden departure of Lucy Pearce within a month of being given the role.

Arron Hendy, the daily title’s assistant news editor, is understood to have been in the editor’s chair for a week already before his appointment was announced earlier today.

Former editor Mike Gilson stepped down in December after two less than years (having replaced Michael Beard) as the title moved offices to Manchester Street in the heart of the East Sussex city.

He was replaced by 28-year-old Pearce who was briefly the Newsquest-owned title’s youngest and first female editor before she left for a job in corporate communications last month.

Hendy, who has worked at the Argus for three years, said in a comment to readers today: “I’ve always felt hugely honoured to work for such a fantastic newspaper and being at the helm is a huge privilege.

“It is such an exciting time having celebrated our 135th birthday two years ago and now being back in the city centre at our new offices in Manchester Street.And this year our amazing Argus Appeal charity is celebrating its 60th year too.

“My first week at the helm has given me the chance to make some changes but essentially this is your newspaper and we want it to be about you, our readers, with more of you featuring on our pages.

“I have a fantastic team behind me with our hugely talented news, sports and production departments putting the pages together here in Brighton with crucial local knowledge.”

Hendy began his career at the Dorset Echo. While a trainee at the paper, he won the News Journalism prize at the 2009 NCTJ Awards for Excellence in Journalism.

He made Press Gazette headlines in 2014 as one of two Argus reporters to have been hospitalised after taking a bite of a super-spicy burger offered by a local restaurant.

Picture: Newsquest