Independent Denies Whittam Smith Departure

Newspaper Publishing has denied that Independent editor Andreas Whittam Smith has announced he is to step down from the paper. A spokesperson for the newspaper told MediaTel this morning that reports in the Weekend national press were unfounded and the Independent is not searching for a new editor to replace Whittam Smith.

The Weekend FT reported that Whittam Smith had made his intentions clear to directors and shareholders and that an official announcement would be made when a successor is found. The report also lists a number of possible successors including Jeremy Paxman, Liz Forgan and Roger Mosey. The Sunday Times carried a similar article confirming Whittam Smith’s departure and citing possible new editors including James Naughtie, a Radio 4 presenter, and Nicholas Colchester of the Economist.