EXCLUSIVE: BBC News has scrapped plans to hire the first royal editor in its history after a messy recruitment process in which the UK broadcaster missed out on its preferred candidate.
Deadline revealed in August that the search had been thrown into doubt after Roya Nikkhah, The Sunday Times royal editor and CBS News contributor, decided to stay put at the Rupert Murdoch-owned newspaper.
Richard Burgess, director of news content at BBC News, announced that the recruitment process had been abandoned in an email to staff this week. The email detailed structural newsroom changes as part of plans to close 130 journalism roles.
Burgess said: “Like many other media organisations, we need to adapt to new audience challenges, and we continue to operate against a very difficult financial picture across the BBC. This means our newsroom must continue to evolve.”
BBC News’ search became a months-long saga after the corporation initially passed over two internal candidates. Either Mark Easton, BBC News’ home editor, or royal correspondent Daniela Relph, were expected to be handed the position in April, but but both were told they had not been successful. Relph was later elevated to senior royal correspondent.
After overlooking Easton and Relph, the BBC opened up the royal editor role to external candidates. Interviews for the post took place in June, with candidates beyond Nikkhah thought to include ITV News’ royal editor Chris Ship and Rhiannon Mills, Sky News’ royal correspondent.
BBC News has traditionally appointed royal correspondents, but the corporation decided to hire an editor last year ahead of the retirement of Nicholas Witchell, a 25-year veteran of the beat.