Steerpike Steerpike

Mail exodus to The Times continues

Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images

The shenanigans at Northcliffe House have given Mr S much to write about in recent months. Whether it’s Geordie Greig’s sudden fall from grace, Ted Verity’s promotion or Lord Rothermere’s designs on DMGT, it appears that the Daily Mail creates as much drama as it reports. Unfortunately it seems that the shock return of Paul Dacre last month has ruffled a fair few feathers in the newsroom, with some hacks fearing a return to what they call the ‘bad old days’. Amid the uncertainty and conflicting reports about comings and goings, it’s unsurprising that some young guns now see their futures elsewhere.

For tonight the Times has proudly sent around an email to its staff announcing that the paper has just poached a hat-trick of Daily Mail rising stars: Tom Payne, Eleanor Hayward and Mario Ledwith. The trio are joining as deputy news editor, health reporter and general news reporter respectively. All three are under 35 and have spent at least five years working at the paper. Hayward has won multiple awards over the past 18 months for her reporting during the pandemic while Payne collected travel journalist of the year in July prior to being bumped to his current post of assistant news editor. Merry Christmas Mr Murdoch…

All three will be treading a well-worn path when they make the journey from High Street Kensington over to News UK at London Bridge. For since the beginning of 2019 around a dozen journalists at the daily and Sunday papers have similarly jumped ship to go to the Times or Sunday Times including Ben Taylor, the long-serving Daily Mail executive editor. Turnover in Fleet Street is as old as the industry itself but it hasn’t escaped Steerpike’s notice that few hacks seem to be making the reverse journey. 

With spots now opening up in the famous Mail newsroom, Mr S looks forward to seeing which enterprising scoop-getters are hired to replace the outgoing hacks.

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