UK – 22 May 2014

This week’s Media Updates covers changes at news titles including Independent, BBC and Guardian and business changes at Financial Times and Broadcast Now.

News & Current Affairs

• Telegraph Media Group has appointed Steve Huntingford as head of motoring. Also, Paul Hudson has been appointed deputy head and Chris Knapman will be taking on the role as contributing editor of motoring. 
• Guardian News & Media has appointed Aron Pilhofer as executive editor of digital. Aaron is currently associate managing editor for digital strategy at the New York Times. He will initially move to the Guardian US before completing his move to London in the summer.
• Tom Giles will leave his position as editor of Panorama in June. Tom is to devise and implement a blueprint to shape current affairs at the BBC for the future, before starting a senior role in the autumn.
• Hearst Magazines has made three senior appointments. Michael Rowley, group publishing director has been promoted to managing director, brands. Product director Lee Wilkinson has been appointed strategy & product director and Greg Witham will be promoted from group trading and partnerships director to group publishing director.
• Local World has appointed Matt Kelly as digital director.
• Paul Wiltshire will be leaving his role as news editor of the Bath Chronicle.
• Tim Gordon will be leaving his role as editor of South Wales Echo in July. He is yet to be replaced.
• Simon Farrington will be leaving his role as editor of Wales on Sunday and business development editor for the Wales Online, Western Mail (Cardiff) and Business in Wales in July. He is yet to be replaced.
• Joanna Hunt has joined the Rugby Advertiser as a trainee reporter.

Business & Finance

• The Financial Times has announced the appointment of Gillian Tett as US managing editor from 1 September.
• Louise Farrand has announced via Twitter that she has been appointed editor of Pensions Insight and Engaged Investor. David Blackman has been appointed editor-at-large at the publication.
• Alexandra Chapman has announced via Twitter that she has joined Broadcast Now.
• Nick Golding, editor of Local Government Chronicle has announced via Twitter that David Paine has joined as senior reporter.

Speedy Spotlights

• An interview with Purav Desai, author and co-admin of the technology blog, TeckComesFirst, with inputs from Usman Hussain, founder of the site. They spoke to us about the content strategy in place, working with PRs and why wearable tech is a big focus for them this year. 
• An interview with Jo Harris-Cooksley a Londoner who loves the city and blogs about it on She Loves London. Jo spoke to us about the content that sets her site apart from other London-centric blogs, how she works with marketers and more interestingly, what PR and brands can do differently in better working with her and fellow bloggers.
• An interview with Shem Douglas, a blogger for the online dating website Dating Price Guide and author of a new e-book Mouth Open Story Fell Out: Cynical Rants Of A Singleton. She spoke to us about covering the dating game in a fun yet truthful way through her posts and working with PRs and marketers in getting her name ‘out there.’