Editor leaves 'The Times’

Press, 17 March 1982, Page 9

Editor leaves 'The Times’

NZPA-Reuter > London Harold Evans surrendered to the Australian press magnate, Rupert Murdoch, yesterday and resigned as editor of “The Times.” the 197-year-old newspaper of the British Establishment.

Mr Evans had clung to his job for nearly a week in a much-publicised battle with Mr Murdoch,- who bought “The Times” and the "Sunday Times” a year ago and moved Mr Evans from the Sunday to the daily newspaper.

Mr Evans’s supporters said the struggle was over the paper’s editorial line in politics and international affairs, but Mr Murdoch denied it. Because Mr Murdoch already owned other British papers and the purchase made him the most powerful of the nation’s newspaper proprietors, he promised the British Government that the editor of "The Times" would enjoy a special, protected position. It was that promise which produced the battle over Mr Evans’s job. The struggle ended yesterday when a “Times” spokesman announced Mr Evans had resigned. Mr'Evans confirmed the hews, saying hie had to end his differences with Mr Murdoch, who also owns the “New York Post" and several other American publications. Mr Evans, who is 53. built a towering reputation in the British press during his 14 years as editor of the "Suncay Times." winning a long series of campaigns to remedy injustices, expose wrongdoing. and defend press freedom. He won many awards. The most recent, just last week,

was the “Editor of the Year" accolade of a television programme that scrutinises Britain’s newspapers. "The, Times’s" announcement named a deputy editor. Charles Douglas-Home, as Mr Evans's successor. Under the terms of Mr Murdoch's promises last year to the Government, the appointment must be approved by a six-member watchdog body of independent directors’.

Mr Douglas-Home, aged 44. is a nephew of Lord Home, a former Conservative Party Prime Minister in the 1960 s under the name Sir Alec Douglas-Home. Press reports over the week-end said Mr Evans was seeking the equivalent of ?NZ1.33 million to quit.

The duel between editor and owner came after a series of conflicts during the last few years revolving on management attempts to cut staff and modernise the newspapers’ antiquated technology. The papers closed for almost a year in 1979. Differences between the two came to a head this month when Mr Murdoch threatened to shut the papers unless the employees agreed to sweeping staff cuts. The unions agreed last week to many of Mr Murdoch’s demands, but hardly were the papers pronounced safe when news came that Mr Murdoch was to press Mr Evans to resign. Mr Murdoch said Mr Evans had lost the confidence of senior journalists at "The Times” — a claim hotly disputed b.y Mr Evans’s supporters. It was backed by some who complained he had made too many changes. During Mr Evans’s year at “The Times." circulation rose oqo non in oqs non