View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. Comment
March 7, 2016

Founder of Scotland on Sunday Alastair Stuart has died aged 89

By Press Gazette

Alastair Stuart, CBE, one of the champions of quality regional journalism as editorial director of Thomson Regional Newpapers and the launch editor of Scotland on Sunday, died after a short illness on Friday evening, 4 March, at the age of 89.

As editor-in-chief and then editorial director of Thomson Regional Newspapers, then one of the largest newspaper groups in the UK, he was in charge of policy and strategy for numerous daily and weekly titles including the Belfast Telegraph, Western Mail and Echo, Newcastle Journal and Chronicle as well as Scotsman Publications.

Later in his career, he combined that role with helping to launch Scotland on Sunday in 1988, the first up-market Sunday publication devoted entirely to Scottish affairs, which meant a move back to his native Edinburgh after more than 20 years working in London.

This role also saw him take on a leading role in the D-Notice committee [now the DSMA, Defence and Security Media Advisory committee] where he was vice chairman of the committee and chairman of the media panel from 1989 to 1997.

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

Causes he fought included resisting government attempts to include tackling crime under terrorist restrictions and the drive to open the security services to more public scrutiny. When he started, the name of the heads of MI5 and MI6 were classified as secrets, now not only are they in the public domain but they give interviews.

He had always had a widely travelled professional life, working in newspapers in Kenya and Nigeria before returning to Scotland, and quickly moving south to take charge of the London office of the Scotsman.

When TRN decided to amalgamate the London operations of all their papers into a single entity, he was asked to run it, first as editor in chief and then as editorial director where he took charge of the day-to-day running of the London operation serving all the groups papers but also the long-term direction of the industry as it moved into the computer age.

Other prominent roles included being chairman of the Caledonian Club in London and prominent positions with the Newspaper Society.  Scotland on Sunday, his brainchild and his creation, was closely followed by Wales on Sunday a few months later, remains one of his most prominent legacies to the journalism industry. 

Born in Edinburgh in 1927, he won a scholarship to George Heriot's School and there was never any doubt in his mind that he was always going to follow the footsteps of his own father, who had died in 1928, into newspapers.

After National Service and completing his degree at Edinburgh University, his first full-time job was as a sub-editor on the Edinburgh Evening Dispatch where he also helped produce the paper's coverage of the Edinburgh Festival.

Today's Scotsman included the following tributes. Magnus Linklater, editor of The Scotsman when SoS was launched, said: “I trusted his judgment greatly.

“He was a wise old bird. He knew journalism extremely well and knew Scotland even better.“

Brian Groom, who was Mr Stuart’s deputy at SoS before later becoming editor, said: “He was courteous and kind, but never tolerated woolly thinking or sloppy writing.

“It was a privilege to work with Alastair in creating SoS.

“At an age when most people would be thinking of winding down he undertook this adventurous task with dedication, humour and a determination not to be hidebound by conventional thinking.

“We all owe him a debt of gratitude for creating a paper that, over nearly three decades, has produced some of Scotland’s finest journalism.”

John Marquis, who worked with Mr Stuart when he was chief London editor of Thomson Regional Newspapers, said: “He was a very able, astute and charming man who taught me a lot about management.

“He was an excellent judge of character who led the London team with cool efficiency, providing a fine news, sport and features service for a group of around 16 dailies.”

He was a much loved husband, father and grandfather, married to Anne Stuart for 64 years after they met at Edinburgh University. He leaves three children, Catriona, Lewis and Hamish, and four grandchildren, Calum, Shona, Cara and Aidan.

 

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network