Reuters mulls sports desk move to New York - report

Paul Radford, global sports editor for the past five years, is to stand down in 2012 and manage a transition to his ultimate successor while supervising coverage of the London Olympic Games, the SJA said. It will be Radford’s sixth Olympics in charge of Reuters’ award-winning sports coverage, in which he will oversee the work of 300 reporters, editors, photographers and support staff.

The sports desk’s number three, sports production editor Kevin Fylan, had his leaving party last week, as he and Jon Bramley, deputy sports editor, are going to work on the Volvo Round the World yacht race.

The SJA said the company’s American management is considering shifting its sports operation to the other side of the Atlantic. Such a move, were it to go ahead, would comprehensively shift the focus of Reuters’ internationally regarded sports coverage, with a New York office operating in a time zone five hours or more behind Europe.

A job advertisement for global sports editor was posted this week. It said: “The successful candidate will lead a global team of specialist sports correspondents and editors and work with our wider bureau network to guarantee the scope and quality of our internationally recognized sports newsgathering team. The editor will be expected to contribute directly to the file through reporting, editing and analyzing major sports stories and themes…

“Based in London; we will consider New York for an exceptional candidate. Local terms, no relocation.”

The job advertisement said: “The successful candidate will work closely on a handover with our global sports editor, who is retiring in mid 2012, through the balance of this year before assuming sole responsibility for this ever popular area of coverage in the run up to the London Olympics.”

Reuters’ sports editor has always carried massive influence in sports media matters, the SJA said. The late Steve Parry, Radford’s close colleague and predecessor as Reuters sports editor, served for many years on the International Olympic Commission’s press commission. Likewise, Radford has been on the commission for more than 10 years and was chairman of its working group at the Beijing and Vancouver Games, as well as working closely with the London Olympics committee.

Reuters has also carried much weight in negotiations between media operators and other sports events, such as the football, rugby and cricket World Cups. Whether that would change, and Reuters’ sports coverage alter to focus more on NFL, NHL, Nascar and the like if they were run from New York is difficult to assess, the SJA added.

Media blogger Roy Greenslade, writing in The Guardian, commented: “All interesting speculation, of course, but it’s hardly conclusive proof of a transAtlantic switch. And Reuters, incidentally, is keeping its counsel.” ■