Skip to content
Surf Wiki
Save to docs
general

From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base

Charles Wilson (journalist)

Charles Martin Wilson (18 August 1935 – 31 August 2022) was a Scottish journalist and newspaper executive.


Charles Wilson
Charles Martin Wilson(1935-08-18)18 August 1935Glasgow, Scotland
31 August 2022(2022-08-31) (aged 87)London, England
Eastbank Academy
.mw-parser-output .hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul{margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt,.mw-parser-output .hlist li{margin:0;display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ul{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist .mw-empty-li{display:none}.mw-parser-output .hlist dt::after{content:": "}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li::after{content:"\a0 · ";font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li:last-child::after{content:none}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li li:first-child::before{content:" (";font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd li:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt li:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li li:last-child::after{content:")";font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol{counter-reset:listitem}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol>li{counter-increment:listitem}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol>li::before{content:" "counter(listitem)"\a0 "}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd ol>li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt ol>li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li ol>li:first-child::before{content:" ("counter(listitem)"\a0 "}Journalisteditorexecutive
.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul{line-height:inherit;list-style:none;margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol li,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul li{margin-bottom:0}
Anne Robinson
​ ​(m. 1968; div. 1973)​

Sally O'Sullivan ​ ​(m. 1980; div. 2001)​

Rachel Pitkeathley ​(m. 2001)​ | | 3 |

Charles Martin Wilson (18 August 1935 – 31 August 2022) was a Scottish journalist and newspaper executive.

Charles Martin Wilson was born in Glasgow on 18 August 1935, and educated at Eastbank Academy in the east end of the city.

Having begun his career as a reporter for the News Chronicle and the Daily Mail, Wilson subsequently edited the Glasgow Evening Times, The Glasgow Herald and The Scottish Sunday Standard from 1976 to 1982, before moving to London to work as deputy editor (1982–1985) and editor (1985–1990) of The Times. From 1992 to 1998 he was managing director of Mirror Group plc (having been editorial director of the Group from 1991 to 1992). He was concurrently managing director and editor-in-chief of The Sporting Life (1990–1998), and also edited The Independent for a brief spell (1995–1996).

Once a Royal Marines boxing champion, he was feared but respected by many of those who worked for him, among them Matthew Parris, who cites him as an inspiration. American-born author Bill Bryson, who worked at the Times during Wilson's ascension to editor, described him as "a terrifying Scotsman and a Murdoch man through and through". Wilson, who oversaw a drastic cut in staff less than a year after his appointment (5250 workers, mostly from heavily unionized segments of the workforce), was remembered for his forceful demeanour, with Bryson recalling his announcement of the restructuring plan thus:

He said to us: 'We're sending ye tae Wapping, ye soft, English nancies, and if ye wairk very, very hard and if ye doonae git on ma tits, then mebbe I'll not cut off yer knackers and put them in ma Christmas pudding. D'ye have any problems with tha'?' Or words to that effect.

Wilson was appointed new Chairman of the Judges at British Press Awards 2006, as part of an effort to promote transparency and fairness in the judging process.

Wilson was the senior non-executive director of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, where he made significant steps in assuring corporate governance.

Wilson was married to the broadcaster and journalist Anne Robinson and they had a daughter. He was later married to the journalist Sally O'Sullivan with whom he had a son and a daughter. They divorced in 2001, and later that year, he married amateur jockey Hon Rachel Pitkeathley, daughter of life peer Baroness Pitkeathley.

Wilson died from blood cancer at The London Clinic on 31 August 2022, at the age of 87.

Want to explore this topic further?

Ask Mako anything about Charles Wilson (journalist) — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.

Research with Mako

Free with your Surf account

Content sourced from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.

Report