Gavin Foster

Notable work and positions

The Northern Echo — Editor (since 2022); Regional Editor, Newsquest North
ChronicleLive (Reach plc) — former Editor (2020–2022)
Sunderland Echo, Hartlepool Mail, Shields Gazette — former Managing Editor / Deputy Editor / Head of Content
The Journal (Newcastle) — former Deputy News Editor

Biography

Gavin Foster was born in Sunderland in 1973. He joined Sunderland Polytechnic in 1992, the same year the institution gained university status to become the University of Sunderland, and graduated with a media degree in 1995. He completed his industry entry exams and joined the Sunderland Echo as a trainee reporter, then worked for 18 months at the North News press agency covering major stories for the national press across the North of England. He went on to serve as deputy news editor at The Journal in Newcastle, returned to the Sunderland Echo as head of content, and became deputy editor of the Hartlepool Mail. When the newsrooms of the Sunderland Echo, Hartlepool Mail and Shields Gazette merged, Foster led the combined teams and titles as managing editor.

Foster became editor of ChronicleLive, Reach plc's Newcastle-based title, in 2020, leading the newsroom through the coronavirus pandemic. In 2022, Newsquest appointed him editor of The Northern Echo, the Darlington-based daily, succeeding Karl Holbrook, who moved to become executive editor at the Daily Express; Foster also took on the role of group editor for Newsquest in the North East. Later that year, he was promoted to regional editor for Newsquest North, extending his oversight to daily and weekly titles across Cumbria, Yorkshire, North West England and North Wales, including the Bradford Telegraph & Argus, The Press in York, the News & Star in Carlisle, The Mail in Barrow, the Bolton News, the Lancashire Telegraph, the Oldham Times and the Wrexham-based Leader, while remaining editor of the Northern Echo. In October 2023, he launched the North East Knife Crime Taskforce campaign following a spate of teenage deaths in the region. In 2024, the University of Sunderland awarded Foster an Honorary Doctorate of Letters. He lives in County Durham.

Career highlights

1. Editor, The Northern Echo, since 2022. Leads the Darlington-based daily and, as regional editor for Newsquest North, oversees titles across Cumbria, Yorkshire, North West England and North Wales.

2. North East Knife Crime Taskforce, 2023. Launched the campaign following a spate of teenage deaths in the region.

3. Honorary Doctorate of Letters, University of Sunderland, 2024. Awarded an honorary doctorate by his former university, where he had graduated with a media degree in 1995.

4. Editor, ChronicleLive, 2020–2022. Led the Reach plc Newcastle title's newsroom through the coronavirus pandemic before moving to Newsquest.