Will Lewis is no longer editor in chief and managing director of the Telegraph. The Guardian had the story last night:
Will Lewis has been pushed out of the Telegraph Media Group after a disagreement with chief executive Murdoch MacLennan over the future direction of the publisher, MediaGuardian.co.uk can reveal.
The shock departure comes just a month after Lewis, editor in chief and managing director, digital, accepted the newspaper of the year prize at the British Press Awards for the Telegraph’s expenses expose. The Telegraph dominated the 2010 awards, winning six for its MPs’ expenses coverage.
Meanwhile over at Beehive City, Dan Sabbagh speculates it won’t be the last we’ve seen of Lewis:
As for Lewis, he’ll be back soon enough – hacks were last night already putting him down as a possible future editor of The Sunday Times, given friendly relations with the likes of Rebekah Brooks over at News International. Lewis, himself, though, may hanker after a commercial job. Either way, it’d be interesting to find out which election parties he turns up to tonight.
The oddly timed departure also follows media speculation about the fate of Lewis’ ‘Euston project’ – the Telegraph’s mysterious digital enterprise.
Update – The official line from Telegraph Media Group HQ has arrived:
The Telegraph Media Group (TMG) confirms that William Lewis is to leave TMG in the near future.
Commenting on his departure, TMG chief executive, Murdoch MacLennan, said:
“Will has been a superb colleague, helping transform our operation into the UK’s leading multimedia quality publisher and establishing Euston Partners to take TMG forward into its next phase of development. Having achieved so much here, I understand his reasons for wanting to move on. We wish him every success.”