TWO of the best-known writers on Scotland on Sunday are moving on to pastures news. Richard Elias – a recent capture from the Daily Record – is to become the deputy editor of the Scottish Daily Star, while political correspondent, Murdo MacLeod, is believed to be headed for Kazakhstan.
Elias was only last month named Journalist of the Year at awards celebrating the best in the regional press – at the Circulation, Editorial and Promotions Awards, run by the Newspaper Society.
MacLeod, who has been political correspondent at SoS for the last eight years, is understood to be taking up a post as head of internal communications for an oil consortium in the Kazakhstan city of Atyrau. Born on the Isle of Lewis, he is fluent in Gaelic, English and German and has conversational French, Russian and Irish Gaelic.
Last year, he reported a successful campaign that stripped of Zimbabwe president, Robert Mugabe, of his honorary degree from Edinburgh University.
Elias joined Scotland on Sunday a year ago after spells with the Record, where he was on the crime desk, and the Liverpool Post and Echo. He was named ‘Reporter of the year’ at the Scottish Press Awards two years ago.
Meanwhile, also moving, is Vanessa Ewing, a media aide to Scottish Labour leader, Wendy Alexander. She is taking up a media post with Strathclyde Joint Police Board.
