Brian Hitchen facts for kids

Brian Hitchen (8 July 1936 – 2 December 2013) was a famous British newspaper editor. He also worked as a publisher later in his career. He was honored with a CBE, which is a special award from the British King or Queen for important achievements.

Brian Hitchen: A Life in Journalism

Brian Hitchen started his exciting career in newspapers when he was young. He became known for his sharp reporting and for leading some of Britain's biggest newspapers.

Starting His News Career

Brian began learning about the newspaper world right after school. He worked hard to become a successful journalist.

From Copyboy to Reporter

Brian's first job was as a copyboy at the Daily Despatch in Manchester. A copyboy helps deliver messages and copies around the newsroom. A year later, he joined the Bury Times as a trainee reporter, learning how to find and write news stories.

Serving His Country

From 1954 to 1956, Brian completed his national service. This was a time when young men in Britain had to join the military for a period. He served in the Parachute Regiment. After his military service, he worked for the Manchester Evening News. Soon after, he began his national newspaper career at the Daily Mirror in Manchester.

Reporting from Around the World

Brian became a foreign correspondent for the Daily Mirror in 1963. This meant he traveled to other countries to report on important events. He was based in Paris first. From 1965 to 1972, he reported from many different places around the world for the Mirror.

Covering Big Stories

In 1965, Brian was sent to cover the 1965 India-Pakistan War. This was a major conflict between the two countries. While working for the Daily Mirror in New York City, he reported on the 1968 Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.. This was a very sad and important event in American history. He also reported on a controversy involving England's football captain, Bobby Moore, before the 1970 World Cup.

After his time as a foreign correspondent, Brian returned to London in 1972. He worked on the news desk for the Daily Mirror. The news desk is where stories are planned and edited. Later, from 1973 to 1978, he joined the Daily Express in the same role.

Leading Major Newspapers

Brian Hitchen moved into leadership roles in the newspaper industry. He became the editor of several well-known papers.

Editor of the Daily Star

From 1987 to 1994, Brian was the editor of the Daily Star. As an editor, he was in charge of what stories were published and how the newspaper looked. After that, he became the editor of the Sunday Express for a year in 1994.

Beyond Editing

In 1996, Brian started his own company called Brian Hitchen Communications. He also became the chairman of two publications in Ireland: Kerry Life and Irish Country Life. As chairman, he helped guide the business side of these magazines.

A Special Honor

In 1990, Brian Hitchen was appointed a CBE. This honor was given to him by Margaret Thatcher, who was the Prime Minister at the time. It recognized his important contributions to journalism.

His Final Years

Brian Hitchen tragically passed away on 2 December 2013. He was near Alicante, Spain, when he was involved in a car incident. His wife was killed instantly, and Brian died from his injuries a few hours later.