They say you can’t keep a good man down. Geordie Greig, one of the finest networkers in British journalism, has returned to Fleet Street after a brief 13-month hiatus away. The Old Etonian was axed as the Daily Mail editor in a power struggle in November 2021 and since then he’s kept a low profile, setting up his own company and chairing the Friends of the National Libraries.
Now though, he’s back, taking up the reins as editor in chief of the Independent with immediate effect. Lord Lebedev is the major shareholder in the Independent’s parent company: Greig previously edited the Evening Standard for the peer and still owns five per cent of that paper, in which the Russian press baron also has a stake. The Indy hasn’t had a full time editor since 2020 and just made a number of staff redundant – including its well-respected lobby team. The former newspaper, which went digital-only in 2016, now says it’s targeting American readers instead. Jolly good luck with that.
It will be the fourth Fleet Street title Greig has edited since he first made his name at Tatler magazine in the early noughties. In a statement, the veteran journalist said he was:
Delighted to become editor in chief of the Independent, the only title that has successfully made the transition from national newspaper to global news platform, whilst maintaining editorial integrity and remaining profitable throughout… the Independent is the UK’s leading quality digital title, outpacing the Guardian, Telegraph and Times. This sustained large scale readership is a testament to the Independent‘s commitment to truly independent, authoritative news coverage, and I look forward to leading the brilliant editorial team that is successfully making journalism a force for good.
Fighting talk for a site best known for its endless pop-up ads…
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