Fergus Shanahan

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Fergus Shanahan (born 26 January 1955) is a British journalist. From 2007 he was Executive Editor of The Sun newspaper. [1] In 2015 it was reported that Shanahan had left the newspaper after being cleared of authorising illegal payments to a public official. [2]

Contents

Early life and education

Shanahan was born in London. He attended Maidenhead Grammar School.

Career

Shanahan began his career on the Reading Chronicle and Reading Evening Post. He worked as a sub-editor for the Mirror Group, The Times and Express Newspapers. He joined The Sun in 1989, working as a Night Editor before being appointed Deputy Editor in 2000. He was deputy to David Yelland 2000 - 2003 and Rebekah [3] Brooks (nee Wade) 2003 - 2007. [4] [5] He was also a political columnist on The Sun 2004 – 2008. [6] [7]

On 28 January 2012 The Daily Telegraph and BBC reported that Shanahan was arrested as part of the Operation Elveden police inquiry into allegations of improper payments by journalists to public officials. [8] [9] The inquiry is connected to the News International phone hacking scandal. In July 2013 he pleaded not guilty; [10] on 20 March 2015 Shanahan was cleared of charges that he had signed off illegal payments. [11]

Personal

Shanahan is married with two daughters. He lives in Essex.

References

  1. "Sun executive Fergus Shanahan to face trial for paying public official". The Times, 19 April 2013.
  2. Former Sun executive editor Fergus Shanahan leaves News UK, The Guardian, 17 September 2015
  3. "News of the World editor quits". BBC News.
  4. Dr George Morgan; Professor Scott Poynting (28 January 2013). Global Islamophobia: Muslims and Moral Panic in the West. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. pp. 202–. ISBN   978-1-4094-9536-9.
  5. Martin Hickman; Tom Watson (19 April 2012). Dial M for Murdoch: News Corporation and the Corruption of Britain. Penguin Books Limited. pp. 254–. ISBN   978-0-241-96105-6.
  6. Arthur Aughey (15 July 2007). The Politics of Englishness. Manchester University Press. ISBN   978-0-7190-6873-7.
  7. "Sun columnist who became foreman of jury in murder case was 'faithful to his oath'". Solicitors Journal.
  8. "Four Sun journalists arrested", Daily Telegraph, London, January 28, 2012. Retrieved 28 January 2012
  9. "Operation Elveden:Five held in police payment probe", BBC News, 28 January 2012. Retrieved 28 January 2012
  10. "Sun executive pleads not guilty to charges over alleged payments". The Guardian, 22 July 2013.
  11. "Sun journalists cleared in payments trial". BBC News. 20 March 2015. Retrieved 20 March 2015.