Society of Editors appoints new chief
Dawn Alford
Former Fleet Street journalist Dawn Alford (pictured) has been appointed as the new executive director of the Society of Editors, taking over from Ian Murray.
Ian quit after three years in the role following his strongly worded rebuttal of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s claims of racism in the UK media was widely criticised by national and regional journalists.
Dawn started out on the Exeter Leader and the Exeter Express & Echo, also working on the Southern Daily Echo as a crime reporter and chief reporter before forging a successful career on Fleet Street.
On national titles including for Sunday Express, Daily Express, Mirror, Sunday People and the New Day, Dawn worked in various reporting and executive roles. She has also spent more than ten years as an editorial content director for digital and print content agencies.
Dawn said: “It’s a privilege to take over as executive director for such a prestigious society and one so important in today’s complex world of communication. Press freedom is essential in times of crisis, and, in the context of the global pandemic, British journalism has certainly risen to the challenge.
“As a Society we are about to embark on a series of consultations with our members about our future goals and what we can do to safeguard the freedom of the press, build trust in our industry and help newsrooms be as diverse as the communities and audiences they serve. There is a great deal to be done practically, including a refresh of our website and its content to better reflect the new support we can offer and to encourage a new generation of members.
“I’m delighted that we will soon also launch our Diversity and Inclusion Resource Hub which brings together a series of advice and initiatives being put in place across our industry. We hope it will further boost the opportunities for both aspiring and current journalists to progress in their chosen careers, “she added.
Dawn becomes only the third executive director of the Society in the 22 years since its formation as a result of the merger of the Guild of Editors and the Association of British Editors in 1999. Former Cambridge News editor Bob Satchwell, who died in May from Covid-19, led the Society for the first 18 years of its existence before ill-health forced his retirement in 2017.
