PA Media editor-in-chief Pete Clifton has revealed he is stepping down at the end of this year after ten years heading up the UK’s national news agency.
Writing on Linkedin he said it was “entirely my call and there were various efforts to persuade me to stay.
“But I’ve decided that after 10 years at the helm, and an eye-watering 43 years in journalism, I’m ready to ease off slightly from full-time work and have more opportunities to make merry.
“Being part of the PA machine has been an enormous privilege, and I’m lucky to have had so many amazing people around me to ensure our vital newsgathering has kept evolving to stay at the heart of the UK and Ireland’s media landscape.”
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Clifton joined PA in 2014 from MSN where he led a 70-strong editorial team (back in the days before it replaced its editors with automated editing technology).
He previously worked for the BBC in various jobs over 15 years including: head of editorial development, head of news interactive, editor of the BBC News website, editor of the BBC Sport site and editor of Ceefax.
Clifton first worked for PA in the mid-1990s as chief sports sub-editor and then as editor of its Teletext service.
PA is the UK’s national news agency but has had to deal with falling demand from its traditional print newspaper clients as the industry has declined. However, under Clifton it has diversified into data, automated content, video and other areas.
In 2022 it reported revenue up 7% to £106m and profit before tax of £5.5m. PA has nearly 1,000 staff.
In March Emily Shelley replaced Clive Marshall as PA chief executive.
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