Rachel Jupp is among four candidates in the ’s final interviews this week for its next head of news. Matt Brittin is expected to decide imminently after Deborah Turness resigned last November.
The shortlist also includes Jonathan Munro and Rhuanedd Richards, while Esme Wren is thought to be in the mix. Jonathan Munro has been acting leader of the news unit since Turness quit, giving the final stage an internal candidate already running the division.
News search enters home stretch
The process has been running for nearly three months, and the says it is now at the end of the selection stage. Rachel Jupp, a director of news documentaries and long-form journalism, has been contacted for comment, along with Munro, Wren and Richards.
Hayley Valentine is not thought to be a candidate. That leaves four names in contention for a post that will sit under Matt Brittin and work closely with Rhodri Talfan Davies.
Deborah Turness exit
Turness resigned last November amid an editorial scandal over Donald Trump. The has also been under pressure from recent cuts and from separate newsroom controversies, including Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone and a Panorama film about Donald Trump.
News announced in June that it was canceling shows like The World Tonight to save £25M, and it still needs to find another £25M in savings in the coming months. The next director of news will inherit that cutback plan as well as the task of steadying the newsroom after a difficult run.
Matt Brittin decision
The search has not been straightforward. David Rhodes counted himself out, Louisa Compton moved to a new role at Channel 4, and David Merritt chose to remain at 3 Queen Victoria Street, narrowing the field before the final interviews began.
The result now hinges on Brittin’s choice between four candidates, with Rachel Jupp still in the running and the appointment expected soon.
