The new editor of the Independent is . . .

[Guest]

Roger Alton.

[Gangster Octopus]

The new editor of the Independent is . . .

Isn't he the one who moved the Observer to the right?

[wingco]

The new editor of the Independent is . . .

Anyone who's read the Nick Davies book will know what shit news this is for the Indie. Mind you, anyone who's read the Observer over the past few years will have a pretty clear idea, too.

[Ginger Yellow]

The new editor of the Independent is . . .

And to the trivial.

[Hofzinser]

The new editor of the Independent is . . .

Christ, from everything I've read of him in places like Private Eye, and having seen the shitness of the Observer in recent times, this looks like very bad news indeed.

[Lucia Lanigan]

The new editor of the Independent is . . .

Interesting to see in that report that "quietly turning everything into the Daily Mail" is seen as being "innovative" by the newspaper industry.

[Guest]

The new editor of the Independent is . . .

Heard about this last week.

About 18 months ago, Alton went on a lads' holiday with the likes of Denis MacShane and Jonathan Powell, which tells you all you need to know about where he's coming from.

He doesn't really have much of a clue about politics -- he's basically a sub-editor who has been promoted way beyond his actual abilities.

[Taylor]

The new editor of the Independent is . . .

Who on Earth thought this was a good idea? I mean... what the fuck?

Roger Alton is a journalist of terrific drive, experience and energy, who has been instrumental in reviving the fortunes of the Observer

Uh, right.

It's like in business, isn't it, where someone having "experience" is all that matters, even when that "experience" has involved taking something that worked OK and making it into complete shit. Or football, where people will employ someone like Peter Reid or Bryan Robson on the grounds that they have "experience". I'm genuinely baffled by it. Not only is Alton shit at his job, he's one of the most unpopular editors in Fleet Street history. Why is he still getting work at all?

[Guest]

The new editor of the Independent is . . .

I didn't realise the Observer's new editor was Irish.

His first move was to sack Jasper Gerard, so he can't be all bad.

[ian.64]

The new editor of the Independent is . . .

he's one of the most unpopular editors in Fleet Street history

The competition for that title has been stiff to the point of rigor mortis.

[Guest]

The new editor of the Independent is . . .

"Left and right are effectively meaningless terms now"

[Hofzinser]

The new editor of the Independent is . . .

That link doesn't work for me.

[Guest]

The new editor of the Independent is . . .

Here you go Hofzinser.

The Independent will be neither a leftwing nor a rightwing paper under Roger Alton's stewardship, the incoming editor said today.

Alton, who edited the Observer for nearly 10 years, said he aimed to make the Independent "indispensable" and would "love" to hire former Times deputy editor Ben Preston.

"I wouldn't have regarded myself as the most leftwing person," he told MediaGuardian.co.uk, when asked if the paper would move further away from the left.

"Left and right are effectively meaningless terms now. I wouldn't define myself by those terms and I don't think a newspaper should either," Alton said.

Alton's Observer supported the 2003 invasion of Iraq, while the Independent was opposed.

"The great opening up of Britain during the past decade under New Labour wasn't a particularly leftwing or rightwing thing. It was a progressive thing to do," he said.

"If you want to stop smacking - which I do - is that left or right? I haven't got a fucking clue.

"I would hope that I'm a progressive person. There's a range of interests you have to try and reflect in the paper."

Alton said he hoped to start his new job in June, but the start date is dependent on negotiation with his former employer, Observer publisher Guardian News & Media. He left the Observer at the end of last year after nearly a decade as editor.

In his first interview since news of his appointment was announced earlier today, confirming a MediaGuardian.co.uk report last month, Alton suggested he had already been scrutinising the Independent and had definite ideas about what he wanted to change.

"There's one or two technical issues - how it looks, problems with the leading, spacing and columns. There are flatplan issues - as you have on any other paper," he said.

"It's a terrific paper but as with all papers you are trying to make them as indispensable as possible.

"It has some of the best reporters but there are lots of ways I hope that you can tweak it," Alton added.

The Independent's printing presses, which are owned by Trinity Mirror, are expected to produce the paper in full colour from September, which will lead to changes and possibly a fully fledged redesign.

Alton spent most of his career working on daily papers before becoming Observer editor, including more than 20 years at the Guardian, starting out as a news sub and rising to features editor and then assistant editor.

He said he had always enjoyed reading the Independent. "It's a paper that people love a lot. It has been brilliantly run by a brilliant guy for many years," he said, of his predecessor Simon Kelner.

"It's very fast track and challenging and I hope that I'm up for it."

Alton promised that he would not dive in and make a splash when he arrived but said "nothing can stand still".

"I would like to include a bit more luxury and have a sense of specialness," he added.

He praised Preston, who industry sources tip for a move to the Independent shortly.

"I'm a fantastic admirer of his. I would love to hire him. He is one of the best journalists on Fleet Street," Alton said.

He angrily denied suggestions that his new job was an act of revenge against his former employer GNM, the owner of the Observer and MediaGuardian.co.uk.

"I have never heard such a piece of horseshit. It's utter bollocks. Never look back," he said.

[Hofzinser]

The new editor of the Independent is . . .

Thanks, HB.

[Rabbitoh]

The new editor of the Independent is . . .

Didn't he try and turn down the editors job of the Observer by saying 'I'm just a fucking sub@ or something??