Paper Monitor
A service highlighting the riches of the daily press.
Well, it's goodbye from him.
The editor of the Times, James Harding, has resigned, telling staff that News Corporation wanted to replace him with his Sunday Times counterpart.
His staff respond with a front page story about his departure - including a tribute from a rival editor, the Independent's Chris Blackhurst - and a inside.
There were widespread reports last night that John Witherow, the long-serving editor of The Sunday Times, could be appointed editor of The Times. News Corporation has taken legal advice on whether it could merge the two newspapers in a seven-day operation. However, this may require the agreement of the government as Mr Murdoch undertook in 1981 "to preserve the separate identities of The Times and The Sunday Times".
And the digital edition of the paper includes a long list of Twitter tributes from his staff, such as:
- Not only was he good and brilliant, he was also VERY good-looking
- Massive loss... Office quietest I've ever known it.
- Feel immensely saddened by James Harding's enforced resignation, like when Andrew Strauss went
- Will go on to brilliant things but sad day for his colleagues
So, not much reading between the lines needed for Rupert Murdoch.
Meanwhile, the Pope has sent his first tweet. And this gives the Independent :
Or as they might say in the Vatican: Pontifex Maximus titiavit... One [Twitter] user pondered: "If the Pope makes a typo, is the typo infallible?"
Well, unnamed Twitter user, the Magazine has asked and answered that very question last week.
And the tabloids remain aerated about some new musical that's opened on the West End and seems destined to be packing in the hen parties for at least a few weeks to come. Actually, in today's papers it's not the show itself that provides the drama:
"Nice Spice party - but guess who poshed off early" - the Sun
"Posh hides as pals hit the dancefloor - I Wannabe Alone" - Sun again
"Posh is a party pooper - Queen Vic snubs other Spice Girls at musical" - Daily Star
"After the big freeze get ready for the big flood" - Daily Express
Oh. That's not about the Spice Girls. It's about the weather.