Many journalists will be sad to hear that David English is retiring as deputy director of Cardiff University’s journalism school after 35 years.
English taught more 1,000 budding hacks at Cardiff, including numerous high-profile names such as Sunday Telegraph editor Ian McGregor, Daily Mirror assistant editor Kevin Maguire, Times chief sports writer Matt Dickinson and chief football correspondent Oliver Kay and Mail chief sports writer Oliver Holt, and ITV politics correspondent Libby Wiener.
Claims that English taught more journalists than any other lecturer don’t seem too outlandish.
As the journalism school’s director Richard Sambrook put it: “More British newspaper journalists are thought to have been trained by David English than by any other person. It’s a remarkable track record and achievement. One of David’s highest forms of praise is to call someone ‘a real journalist’. David is a journalist’s journalist.
“The vigour and strength of British newspaper journalism is revered across the world and David’s played a key role in upholding and instilling this reputation through all of the students who’ve passed through the school’s doors. He’s been an influential presence for many young journalists through what is one of the most formative years of their career and, as such, is held in extremely high regard.”
After graduating from Oxford, English trained as a journalist with Thomson Regional Newspapers, now Trinity Mirror, on the Belfast Telegraph and then the Journal, Newcastle, landing in 1980 as public administration tutor at the Thomson Editorial Training Centre in Cardiff, before joining what was then Centre for Journalism Studies at Cardiff University.
English will be succeeeded as newspaper directot at Cardiff by Michael Hill, a former editor of the South Wales Echo.
