View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. News
February 1, 2021updated 30 Sep 2022 9:59am

The New European bought by founder and Archant content boss Matt Kelly

By Charlotte Tobitt

The New European has been bought from Archant by its founder and former editor Matt Kelly with investment from ex-Financial Times editor Lionel Barber and ex-New York Times chief executive Mark Thompson.

Kelly (pictured), who launched the Remainer newspaper in 2016 and edited it for three years, has left his role as Archant chief content officer as part of the move.

Kelly is now chief executive officer and editor-in-chief for the title, backed by a consortium of investors, while former Independent chief executive Gavin O’Reilly has been named executive chairman.

Three New European journalists have left Archant to stay with the title: editor Jasper Copping, digital editor Jono Read and digital reporter Adrian Zorzut.

Archant will continue to provide design, page layout, back-office support and printing services for the weekly newspaper.

[Sign up for Press Gazette’s must-read newsletters: Media Monitor (strategic insight every Thursday), PG Daily and Marketing Matters]

Kelly said he hopes “the next chapter of The New European will see it grow into a permanent fixture in the UK publishing landscape, playing a part in the debate around the country’s future progress”.

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

According to an all-staff Archant email, seen by Press Gazette, Kelly said: “I am very sad to be leaving a wonderful group of colleagues, who have shown such creativity, intelligence and passion for the future of local journalism, not to mention sheer hard graft. Five years have flown by.

“Archant is today recognised as a force in media innovation and I am excited to see what the next five years brings under fresh stewardship.”

Kelly told Press Gazette in January last year The New European had a “solid subscriber base” of 8,500 people and sold some 10,000 copies a week on the newsstand.

It was originally planned as a pop-up launch to cater to the 48% of voters who backed Remain for just four weeks after the EU referendum, but proved a “surprising success” and has been publishing ever since.

[Read more: Remainer title The New European looks to be platform for ‘radical centre’ in post-Brexit Britain]

Kelly last year slated it as a potential home to “radical ideas about the future of Britain and Europe” and as a platform for the “radical centre”.

Kelly will be replaced as chief content officer by Jeremy Clifford, who will join on 8 March.

Clifford this month left his role as editor-in-chief at rival regional publisher JPI Media after six years following David Montgomery’s buyout of the business with plans to make it less centralised.

Clifford said: “I am delighted to be joining Archant and working with the team in helping to shape future strategy.

“The digital development of the business is essential to its success and I am looking forward to meeting and working with the editorial leaders in shaping the next stage in this development.”

Picture: Archant

Topics in this article : ,

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network