New Editor Appointed To Beacon Has Had Wide Experience

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 15, Issue 70, 17 July 1950, Page 5

New Editor Appointed To Beacon Has Had Wide Experience

Known more for his work among country newspapers one of New Zealand’s younger senior journal • ists, Mr W. W. Turner, editor of the Taihape Times, has been appointed editor of the Bay of Plenty Beacon and will take up his duties at the beginning ’of next month. He will succeed Mr D. C. Stevens.

Mr Turner, who is well known among journalists throughout New Zealand for his interest in the country press, began his newspaper career in the Rangiora branch of the Press, Christchurch, in 1935. At the beginning of 1938, he became Waipukurau representative of the Hawkes Bay Daily Mail (now defunct). After service ’with New Zealand Truth in Wellington and Auckland he went to the StarTimes, of Motueka, and, later to the Evening News, Dannevirke, for a year. He entered the Army from New Plymouth in October, 1941, and, after two years’ service, became sub-editor and was for a long time relieving editor of the Westport News, then a morning daily. At the beginning of 1946, Mr Turner returned to Wellington and spent two years as a parliamentary reporter. He was, for a time, editor of the Bruce Herald, Milton, until April of last year. He has been in Taihape for the last year, firstly as editor-reporter of the Taihape Times and latterly as its manag-ing-editor and secretary. Mr Turner has earned considerable prestige in the Taihape district for his well-balanced leading articles on local and national affairs.

He has, in recent years, devoted his interests solely to small-town newspapers and, among his fellow working-journalists throughout New Zealand, is considered to be an authority on their editing.