John Bryant (journalist)
John Bryant | |
|---|---|
| Born | John William Bryant April 25, 1944 Haselbury Plucknett,Somerset,England |
| Died | (aged 76) Surrey,England |
| Education | Sexey's School |
| Alma mater | Queen's College, Oxford |
| Employer(s) | Daily Mail The Times The Daily Telegraph The Sunday Correspondent The European |
| Children | 2 |
John William Bryant(25 April 1944 – 30 April 2020) was a British journalist with interests inmarathons.He was the editor ofThe Daily Telegraphfrom 2005 to 2007, and also served as editor ofThe European,editor ofThe Sunday Correspondent,deputy editor ofThe Timesand executive editor of theDaily Mail.He helped establish theLondon Marathon,withChris Brasher.[1]
Early and personal life[edit]
Bryant was born on 25 April 1944[2]and grew up in the village ofHaselbury PlunknettinSomerset.He attendedSexey's SchoolinBruton.[3]He studied law atQueen's College, Oxford[4]where he was anOxford Blue.[5]
Bryant was described as a reluctant interviewee, and quietly spoken, by those around him. He resided inKingston upon Thames.
Athletics career[edit]
Bryant was a county running champion and since then entered coaching – he coached, among others, Olympic athleteZola Budd,accompanying her to the1984 Olympics.In the 1950s, he was closely involved with major players in achieving thefour-minute mile,and developed a relationship withRoger Bannister.[6]
After forming a friendship with the track and field athleteChris Brasher,Bryant played a part in developing the modern-dayLondon Marathon.He completed his 24thmarathonin April 2016, and thanked his team at a reception held nearTower Bridgeat the end of the run. By the end of his life he had participated in 29 London Marathons in total.[4]
Bryant was a long-time captain of the world's oldest cross-country running club, theThames Hare and Hounds.
Journalism career[edit]
Bryant began his journalism career at theEdinburgh Evening News.
He was executive editor of theDaily Mailin the 1980s, and consultant editor and features editor,[7]before joiningThe Timesas their managing editor in 1986, where he wrote a regular column on sport. He was promoted to deputy editor, a role he returned to after editingTheSunday CorrespondentandThe European.[8]
On 18 November 2005,Martin Newlandresigned as editor ofThe Daily Telegraph,and theTelegraph Media Groupimmediately hired Bryant.[9]Despite overseeing the paper's move to new offices inVictoria,London,[7]his tenure as editor came with an era of unexpected turbulence, where journalists were at the forefront of a number of redundancies and resignations, including 54 editorial redundancies atThe Telegraphin 2006. At the same time, it was reported that Bryant was in a 'power struggle' with the thenSunday TelegrapheditorSarah Sands.It was announced that Bryant was leavingThe Telegraphin late 2006, and he said he had had "a great time" among the paper's journalists and writers. In October 2006,William Lewistook over Bryant's role unofficially until Bryant's official leaving the editorship the following year.[10][11]
Since his leavingThe Daily Telegraph,Bryant wrote a number of books and articles with sporting and marathon backgrounds, including a piece inThe GuardianaboutRoger Bannister'sfour-minute milein 1954.[12]He became chair of the Press Association Trust in 2008.
Death[edit]
Bryant died on 30 April 2020, aged 76, at his home inSurrey,following a "long illness".[4]He was survived by his wife, two sons and six grandchildren.[4]
Bibliography[edit]
- 3:59.4,Penguin Books, 2005,ISBN978-0099469087[13]
- The London Marathon,Penguin Books, 2006,ISBN978-0099484356[14]
References[edit]
- ^"John Bryant | Writer | Lucas Alexander Whitley – LAW".www.lawagency.co.uk.Archived fromthe originalon 3 April 2019.Retrieved3 April2019.
- ^"John Bryant, veteran newspaperman who helped bring Zola Budd to Britain – obituary".The Telegraph.3 May 2020.Retrieved14 May2020.
- ^"The educational backgrounds of leading journalists"(PDF).The Sutton Trust.June 2006.
- ^abcd"John Bryant, journalist and key figure in London Marathon, dies aged 76".The Guardian.1 May 2020.Retrieved1 May2020.
- ^Robinson, James (12 March 2006)."Marathon man keeps Telegraph running".The Observer.ISSN0029-7712.Retrieved3 April2019.
- ^"Running journalist and author John Bryant dies".Athletics Weekly.1 May 2020.Retrieved1 May2020.
- ^ab"Former Telegraph editor-in-chief and Times managing editor John Bryant dies at 76".Press Gazette.1 May 2020.Retrieved1 May2020.
- ^"Telegraph raids Daily Mail for new editor-in-chief".Campaign.Retrieved3 April2019.
- ^Brook, Stephen (18 November 2005)."Newland steps down at Telegraph".The Guardian.ISSN0261-3077.Retrieved3 April2019.
- ^Brook, Stephen; correspondent, press (28 December 2006)."John Bryant to leave Telegraph".The Guardian.ISSN0261-3077.Retrieved3 April2019.
- ^"'Telegraph' appoints 37-year-old as editor ".The Independent.10 October 2006.Retrieved3 April2019.
- ^"John Bryant".The Guardian.Retrieved3 April2019.
- ^Bryant, John.3:59.4.Retrieved3 April2019.
- ^Bryant, John.The London Marathon.Retrieved3 April2019.
- The Daily Telegraph people
- British male journalists
- 21st-century British journalists
- Daily Mail journalists
- 20th-century English male writers
- People from Somerset
- Writers from Birmingham, West Midlands
- 21st-century English male writers
- People educated at King Edward's School, Birmingham
- 20th-century British journalists
- Alumni of the Queen's College, Oxford
- 1943 births
- 2020 deaths
- British male cross country runners
- People educated at Sexey's School
- English male cross country runners