Former Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre was made editor-in-chief of the newspaper’s publisher DMG Media yesterday.
Mr Dacre, who edited the title for 26 years, will take an active role advising Lord Rothermere, the company’s owner and chairman, and its editors.
Lord Rothermere said: ‘I am delighted to announce that Paul Dacre, who has a huge and distinguished history with this company, is being appointed editor-in-chief of DMG Media.
‘Although he will not be involved in day-to-day editing, he will be taking an active role advising me and the editors.’
As Fleet Street’s longest serving editor – at the Evening Standard from 1991 before taking the helm at the Daily Mail in 1992 – Mr Dacre’s stewardship saw the Daily Mail win Newspaper of the Year seven times
As Fleet Street’s longest serving editor – at the Evening Standard from 1991 before taking the helm at the Daily Mail in 1992 – Mr Dacre’s stewardship saw the Daily Mail win Newspaper of the Year seven times at the industry’s ‘Oscars’, the British Press Awards – more than any other title.
He famously published a landmark front page declaring five men accused of killing teenager Stephen Lawrence were ‘murderers’, won justice for the Omagh bomb victims and led the way campaigning to banish the scourge of plastic bags.
The latter earned the newspaper plaudits from the head of the UN’s environment programme.
DMG Media publisher Martin Clarke said: ‘Nobody has done more to make the Mail titles what they are today than Paul Dacre and I am honoured to be working with him.
DMG Media publisher Martin Clarke said: ‘Nobody has done more to make the Mail titles what they are today than Paul Dacre and I am honoured to be working with him
‘His journalistic courage and judgment are beyond equal and editors and executives the length of Fleet Street can testify personally to how much they owe to his encouragement and counsel. DMG Media is extremely lucky to be able to draw on such a legendary talent.’
Mr Dacre, who was attacked by the civil service earlier this month, pulled out of the contest to head Ofcom media regulator.
In a letter to The Times, he wrote that anyone with Right-of-centre views would ‘have more chance of winning the lottery than getting the job’.
Last week, Ted Verity was named editor of the Daily Mail. Verity has been editing the Mail on Sunday since 2018.