The editor of the Belfast News Letter has been made redundant after parent company Iconic Media decided to replace the role with a wider editorial leader for its titles across Northern Ireland.
Ben Lowry had led the News Letter as editor since 2021 and in total he spent 19 years at the title including as news editor and deputy editor. His final day at the newspaper was Wednesday 22 July.
The News Letter was, along with the rest of the former National World/JPI Media portfolio, taken over by Iconic Media last year. Its other Northern Ireland titles include the Derry Journal, the Carrick Times and the Northern Ireland World website.
In June this year Iconic bought Northern Irish publisher Alpha Media Group, bringing in a further 13 local newspaper titles including the Ulster Gazette.
Press Gazette understands Iconic decided to make Lowry redundant in order to create a new role of group editorial director for Northern Ireland overseeing all of its daily and weekly brands including the Alpha titles.
Iconic Media chief executive Malcolm Denmark told Press Gazette that concerns about the News Letter not having a dedicated editor were unfounded.
“There will be no change in direction, no change in policy…. We very much respect its position and respect its audience. We would be stupid to do anything to jeopardise that,” he said.
The role would be equivalent to some of the editorial leadership roles at the UK’s largest regional publisher Reach, where for example Nottingham Post editor Natalie Fahy is also editor-in-chief for London and East of England.
Elsewhere at Iconic, several titles (the Sunderland Echo, Doncaster Free Press, Harrogate Advertiser and Sussex Express) are regaining dedicated editors for the first time in years amid a shift towards community-focused local journalism.
Press Gazette understands the role had not been advertised or headhunted for before Lowry’s departure but that the hiring process will now begin.
Lowry said in a statement to The Irish News: “After two happy decades, I no longer work at The News Letter.
“It has been a joy to edit the oldest English language daily paper in the world. It is a vital voice at a difficult time for unionism. I wish it well.”
An article in the Belfast Telegraph accused Iconic of “corporate brutality” and noted no statement of well-wishes had been put out about Lowry’s departure.
Séamus Dooley, assistant general secretary of the National Union of Journalists, told the Belfast Telegraph that the News Letter is “an historic newspaper and has occupied a unique position on the media landscape of Northern Ireland. As editor Ben Lowry was always mindful of that role.
“The current publisher should confirm that the News Letter will continue to have its own editor and will retain its editorial independence and identity.”
Iconic recently announced the creation of a new production company to be led by Rodney Edwards, who left his role as editor of Newsquest’s Impartial Reporter, overseeing multi-platform original journalism, documentaries, podcasts, interviews and long-form storytelling across the Northern Ireland portfolio. Press Gazette understands this remains separate to the new role being introduced to replace Lowry.
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