Editor-in-Chief of the Herald & Times Group in Glasgow and editor of Scotland’s national newspaper, The Herald, since December 2008, Donald Martin (pictured) has had a 25–year career in newspapers.
He has been nominated unanimously by the society’s board and will take over from Nigel Pickover, Editor of the Evening Star, Ipswich, if members approve at the AGM during their annual conference at London Stansted on Sunday 15 November.
Martin will be the 12th president of the society, which was formed by a merger of the Guild of Editors and the Association of British Editors.
The Herald is one of the oldest newspapers in the English speaking world having been published out of Glasgow since 1783. After nine years editing the Evening Express in Aberdeen Martin was appointed editor of the Herald’s sister paper the Evening Times in 2006, and in 2007 it won the Newspaper Society’s Regional Newspaper of the Year title.
A former deputy editor of the Cambridge Evening News, Martin was also chief sub-editor and production editor of the Reading Evening Post, editor of Thames Valley Free Newspapers and launch editor of the Edinburgh and Lothian’s Post.
In 1993 he took over as editor of the North West Evening Mail, part of Cumbrian Newspapers, which he edited for four years. The title served Barrow-in Furness and the South Lakes. He then moved to Aberdeen.
Outgoing resident Nigel Pickover said: “Donald has experience across a variety of publications which he has edited with great success and style. As a valuable member of the society’s board, he has been a fearless battler for media freedom and standards. The society is ten years old and I am sure Donald will help take it forward to new heights.”
Martin said: “The society is a powerful voice on behalf of the media’s freedom to report and of the public’s right to know. I am conscious of the honour and responsibility this nomination brings and will work hard to support the industry in these challenging and fast changing times.
“We will continue the fight on many fronts to ensure proper recognition of the media’s role in a democratic society.”
Bob Satchwell, Executive Director of the Society of Editors said: “I am pleased to say that spotting Donald’s talent and potential and hiring him as my deputy in his mid twenties was one of the best appointments I made in my editing career. It is always heartening to be proved right and it will be a thrill and challenge to work with him again as president of the SoE.”
