Tributes to editor who championed local press
TRIBUTES have poured in from journalists around the South West following the death of Alan Cooper, former editor of The Herald and Cornish Guardian.
Alan, who died at the age of 78 following a long and courageous fight against cancer, edited Plymouth’s daily newspaper for nine years before moving to the Bodmin headquarters of the Cornish weekly in 1996, where he spent 11 years until retiring.
Friends and colleagues recalled a talented and respected journalist who was also a likeable, “first-rate” and “decent” family man.
Journalist Martin Freeman, who worked with Alan in The Herald’s Plymouth newsroom, said: “Alan was a top quality editor and a first-rate man to work for and with; erudite but never showy and a true gentleman.
“He could get on with and understand people from all walks of life, essential qualities for a person in charge of a daily paper.
“Alan commanded respect – he would never have to demand it because all the journalists admired the way he led by example.”
Alan’s first job in journalism was on his hometown paper the Somerset County Gazette, in Taunton, as a trainee reporter in 1960.
From there he moved to the Kent Messenger, where he became sports editor, and then joined the Evening Post in Kent. He joined the Daily Express as a sub editor based in Manchester, before moving to the London Evening News in 1973 where he became chief sub.
In 1979 Alan moved to Plymouth as deputy editor of the West Country Sunday Independent, then operated by the Mirror Group as its national training scheme and selling more than 80,000 copies a week.
He became deputy editor of Plymouth’s Evening Herald, as it was then called, in 1984 and took the editor’s role three years later.
At that time the paper’s daily circulation was about 58,000, making it one of the UK’s biggest-selling regional titles.
During his tenure The Herald was named Britain’s Community Newspaper of the Year for its Wake Up Plymouth campaign to promote the city economy and win work for Devonport Dockyard.
During his time at the Cornish Guardian weekly sales topped 40,000, placing the paper in the top 10 performing weeklies in the UK, and it won awards including best weekly paper at the EDF Energy Awards.
Alan also helped raise £25,000 for a sleep monitor for the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro, as part of the Cornish Guardian’s centenary celebrations.
A Cornish Guardian campaign also helped to get a book of remembrance at St Eval to permanently record the names of those who died whilst serving at RAF St Eval during the Second World War, and another stopped a mobile phone mast being built next to a school.
Alan was an enthusiastic village cricketer, playing for a club near his home in Noss Mayo, in the South Hams, and captaining the Herald’s team in Plymouth leagues.
He was a supporter of Somerset County Cricket Club and made an annual visit to test matches at Trent Bridge with former Western Morning News editor Barrie Williams.
The pair were also regularly seen at Plymouth Argyle home matches and Alan was also a keen tennis player. Alan served as a parish councillor and was a staunch family man, husband to wife Tina, also a journalist, father to Anna and a grandad as well.
Among those leading tributes was Steve Grant, now assistant editor at Plymouth-based The Countryman’s Weekly, who said: “He was a top newspaper man with a good eye for layout and design, which could often be forgotten. He was always a decent, thoroughly likeable man too. The newsroom had a buzz and there were some great laughs along the way.”
Former chief sub at The Herald Pete Hale said he was extremely saddened by news of Alan’s death and added: “He had keen editorial judgement as an editor and was kind and could be extremely funny, with a witty turn of phrase. More than once he had me belly laughing from things he said.
“He was also the sort of person who could offer praise and encouragement in a gentle voice at just the right moment to bring out the best in his staff, a rare quality in any leader.
“But he was no soft touch and wasn’t afraid to quite rightly demand high standards. He got those standards because people responded to his professionalism and his nature. I know he will be sorely missed by me and all who knew him and worked with him and my thoughts are with his family.”
Mike Longhurst, who also worked with Alan on the subs’ desk in Plymouth, said: “Alan was very much a hands-on editor, utterly dedicated to producing the best-possible newspaper for his readers.
“His enthusiasm never flagged. He was more often than not to be found in the newsroom rather than his own office.
“During his long editorship of The Herald, local newspapers underwent their biggest ever transformation in the switch to computer technology, which he embraced wholeheartedly.
“However, this revolution proved to be a double-edged sword. Although the production process was speeded up, the competition
from alternative online media would eventually almost overwhelm print journalism.”
Stuart Fraser, who worked with Alan for more than 30 years, said: “Alan was one of the last great editors of print journalism, a passionate advocate for the importance of trusted local journalism who fought all his career for the communities his papers covered.
“In everything he did he put the readers first. He was a deeply compassionate man, always concerned to be sensitive to people’s needs.
“He always seemed happiest with deadline approaching fast, the pressure on and coverage to organise. Dozens of smashed telephones over the years bore witness to the passion and commitment he had for his job.”
Tony Carney, a Plymouth photojournalist who worked with Alan as picture editor, said: “It was a privilege to work for Alan – an editor held in the highest regard not only by all who worked for him but also by all who knew him.
“The Evening Herald under his leadership grew to become one of the best evening papers in the country. Alan could redesign a front page using paper grids before you could boot up an Apple Mac and was never afraid to change a front page when a good late story came in. He will be sadly missed by all who knew him – the best editor I ever worked for.”
Defence specialist and author Iain Ballantyne worked with Alan at The Herald and said: “Alan Cooper was a patient and extremely understanding boss of eager young reporters and gave me a start in evening newspapers, which has been the foundation of my career as an editor and author. For that I am forever grateful.
“It was the Herald’s crowning glory in that era – and the ultimate tribute to his superb stewardship as editor – when, in 1992, we won a national award against some pretty heavy-hitting newspaper rivals.”
Guy Channing, a photographer at The Herald during Alan’s tenure, said Alan helped him through training and “his advice was delivered like the gentleman he was”.
Jacquie Bird joined the Herald as a trainee and then moved to ITV Westcountry. She said: “I am truly grateful for all the chances he gave me and the trust he put in me”, adding that he was a “lovely man”.
Sports writer Kevin Marriott met Alan in 1987 and worked with him until 2005. He said: “He turned out to be the best editor I ever worked for and between us we built a fantastic sports department which provided the happiest days, years, of my career.
“Alan was an old school journalist, thank God. He knew what newspapers were all about, he didn’t suffer fools gladly, and if you worked hard for him, he would back you all the way.”