A newspaper man.....

Newspapers are a dying breed according to some commentators and perhaps they are right. More and more people are turning to the internet to get their news whilst on the move. I spent over 25 years working in newspapers, starting at the Helensburgh Advertiser, which back in the early 1980's still used 'hot metal' to make up the pages, and the press they used was so old that it went to a museum in Germany when printing was centralised in 1995. The joy in seeing your pictures in print is still a pleasure that I can't explain - and it's also one I don't want to lose. So I for one hope that printed newspapers will be around for a long time yet. Charles McGhee is a newspaper man, cut a vein and I wouldn't be surprised if ink flowed out rather than blood. I first met Charles when he became the editor of the Glasgow Evening Times. A small man, with a big presence, Charles quickly made sweeping changes and modernised the Evening Times. He has the reputation of being a hard task master, but I was once told that all editors are 'monsters', it seems to come with the territory! The Charles I now know is quite different from Charles the editor. He cares deeply about journalism and is an Honorary Professor in Journalism and Media at Glasgow Caledonian University. He also was a VSO volunteer in Papua New Guinea, managing a major literacy project for two years, and is currently a member of the West of Scotland board of Maggie's Cancer Care Centres. Behind that hard outer armour he wears is a caring and charming man of many talents. I was delighted when Charles asked me to take a series of portraits of him to illustrate future online and in print products. This picture here shows the famous McGhee stare, which many a poorly prepared news editor or picture editor will be familiar with. I'm pleased to say that many of the portraits we took that day also show him smiling, which is more the man I now know.

www.mcgheemedia.com