Bryant will not be replaced at Telegraph

Telegraph Media Group chief executive Murdoch MacLennan has scrapped the job of group editor-in-chief.

The move means daily editor Will Lewis and Sunday editor Patience Wheatcroft are now likely to enjoy a freer rein than their predecessors.

Former Daily Telegraph editor Martin Newland resigned just a week after the role of editor-in-chief was created with Bryant’s appointment in November 2005. Sunday Telegraph editor Sarah Sands left four months later. Bryant, 62, was acting editor of the Daily Telegraph – as well as editor-in-chief of both the Sunday and daily titles – until October this year when Lewis was given the job. MacLennan said: ‘We owe John an enormous debt for the skill and dedication he has brought to the role, and the group, over the last year. Under his innovative leadership, the Daily Telegraph grew in strength and stature as the market leading quality newspaper. ‘And John crucially prepared the ground for our move to Victoria. His role in helping us on the way to becoming the leading digital quality media company has been absolutely crucial. We will miss him.’ Bryant said: ‘I have had a great time here among so many brilliant journalists and writers. It has been a joy to return the Telegraph to so many of its great traditional strengths, to give it a renewed sense of direction, and at the same time to have been part of the transformation that is now taking place within the Telegraph Media Group.’Bryant joined the Telegraph after being consultant editor of the Mail since 2001. Previous jobs have included deputy editor of the Daily Mail, editor of the Sunday Correspondent and The European and deputy editor of The Times.

The Daily Telegraph has poached Daily Mail news editor Chris Evans to do the same job. Evans, 38, has been at the Daily Mail for 11 years and before joining the newsdesk wrote for the Femail section, having previously worked as a general reporter.

David Wadmore, group design director, is understood to be leaving the Daily Telegraph after only six weeks in the job. He previously spent nine years at The Times where he was heavily involved in its change to a tabloid format.