Reuters settles Olympics case, names new sports editor

Asia sports editor Ossian Shine was immediately appointed acting global sports editor. 

Radford, 66, dropped his action in return for an undisclosed payment for loss of employment and a contribution to his legal costs. He retired from the company after 32 years service.

“I’m pleased to announce that Ossian Shine will become acting sports editor, responsible for our sports file on a global basis, effective immediately,” deputy editor-in-chief Paul Ingrassia said in a message to editorial staff. “Ossian, who has been Asia-Pacific sports editor, very capably directed our memorable coverage of the London Olympic Games last summer. He will continue to be based in Singapore for the time being. In his new duties he succeeds Paul Radford, who has left the company.”

Radford brought his action against Reuters, Ingrassia, chief operating officer Stuart Karle, and head of logistics Larry Rubenstein after being removed from his responsibilities for running Reuters coverage of the London Olympics six months before the start of the Games.

Radford joined Reuters in 1980 and had covered 15 Olympics, leading the entire Reuters team at five including the Beijing Games in 2008 for which he collected the Reuters News Story of the Year award for the team.

Shine led the text team at the London Olympics in Radford’s place. Ingrassia banned Radford from the Reuters office at the Olympic Park.

The employment tribunal hearing began yesterday and had been scheduled to last six days. Witnesses from the International Olympic Committee and the London Games organisers were due to testify for Radford. It was adjourned during the first day for an out-of-court settlement to be reached and was called off before the start of day two when both sides announced an agreement had been signed.

Radford had planned for 73 text journalists to cover the 2012 Games. Karle over-ruled him, saying the Reuters team should be 40 and the editing, filing of snaps and results should be done by local staff at the organisation’s long-range reporting and editing centre in Bangalore. The Reuters team was subsequently increased, with desking done at the event itself. ■