Abstract

This thesis seeks to understand and explain the role of editors in the UK regional press and sets out to determine whether ‘editorial leadership’ is still a valid term following changes brought about by technological advancements and economic necessities. The research concludes that editors are still an effective and valued part of the media machinery. However, they are now expected to be business all-rounders, taking greater responsibility for commercial performance, maybe at the expense of direct involvement with undertaking any journalism, which has become a secondary function. They have an appreciation of other wider business functions, such as human resources and finance, but are able to increasingly rely on professional support. Editorial leaders play a key role in the dissemination of journalism and its wider role in the democratic distribution of
news and information. This study provides indications of where editorial leadership now sits from both an academic and industry perspective. Primary material consists of existing publications by the researcher himself, presented and reflected upon within a reflexive theoretical framework. Alongside this approach, original interviews were conducted with editorial leaders by way of top-up research. A limited number of studies have touched on the role of leadership in the newsroom but the contribution of editorial leadership has received little attention within the academic community. Because the role continues to evolve, the position of ‘leadership’ is pivotal in the development of journalism and deserves greater attention from scholars, who have so far been reticent to engage with the role and its responsibilities. The findings can contribute to a better understanding of editorial leadership and afford a perspective on how the role could develop as the newspaper landscape continues to evolve.