A FORMER news editor at the Edinburgh Evening News, and mentor to several generations of journalism students, has died.
Douglas Middleton, who also included subbing shifts on the sports desk at Scotland on Sunday, was aged 71 and died following a heart attack on Sunday.
A quintessential ‘Edinburgh man’, say colleagues, who loved his rugby and was a proud former pupil of George Heriot’s School, Middleton was, for many years, a journalism lecturer at Edinburgh Napier University.
Says Simon Pia, who lectures journalism at Napier: “He was a great mentor and believed journalism begins and ends with solid reporting. He stood for solid reporting skills: accuracy, fairness and balance. He was a very particular sub-editor and enjoyed collecting subbing gaffes. As a lecturer, he was very much about putting theory into practice.”
His funeral is taking place on Monday. A private funeral is followed by a celebration of his life at Heriot’s Rugby Club at 4pm.
Writes his friend and journalist, Martin Hannan, in today’s Scotsman newspaper: “All friends and former colleagues are invited. A short, dry event is not anticipated.”
Send your own tribute here.
