Records of Martin Wainwright, relating predominantly to his role as northern editor of the Guardian (1995-2013) although a few records relate to his earlier role as northern correspondent (1987-1995).
The records concern the development of the Guardian's editorial operations in the northern region, based at the Manchester office in Deansgate and Wainwright's home office in Leeds. Subjects represented include: editorial ideas and initiatives including Guardian North; special projects such as Voice of the Voter (1997); journalism work experience/training programmes; promotional activity and technological/working arrangements for staff based in the north. Also included is material relating to Guardian social events and to the history of the Guardian and development of the GNM Archive, in which Wainwright took a particular interest.
Administrative/Biographical history: Martin Wainwright joined the Guardian in 1976 and after a period in London which included stints as diary editor and features writer, he relocated to Leeds in 1987 to take up a position as northern correspondent. He replaced Peter Hetherington as northern editor in 2005, overseeing the Guardian's day-to-day editorial operations in the north and was involved the development of a number of initiatives including Guardian North (a northern edition of the paper which launched in 2000) and the Northerner (a blog rounding up media news from across the northern region). Wainwright held the position of northern editor until his retirement in 2013 when he passed the mantle to Helen Pidd.
In 2000, Wainwright wrote that his role as northern editor comprised three main elements: management of the northern/Manchester office, writing about the north and promotional activities.
During the period of Wainwright's tenure as northern editor the Guardian's northern office comprised a team of editorial staff and administrative support located in the Deansgate area of Manchester, sharing space with GMG and with the Manchester Evening News (until its purchase by Trinity Mirror in 2010), although Wainwright himself was predominantly based at his home office in Leeds or out and about across the region. The size and composition of the team varied during this time but included photographers Don McPhee and Denis Thorpe and journalists David Ward, Helen Carter, Peter Hetherington, Tom Sharratt, Martyn Halsall, Robin Thornber, Stephen Bierley, Cynthia Bateman, Paul Fitzpatrick, David Irvine, Clive Woodcock and Angelique Chrisafis as well as a steady stream of journalism trainees and work experience placements.
Wainwright wrote that the part of his role that involved writing about the north was most important component of his job and was "the sort of round-the-clock operation familiar to a foreign correspondent - in other words you work solo as events and ideas require, rather than the sort of fixed rota which a big office requires."
Wainwright's significant promotional work involved championing the Guardian both directly in his role as northern editor through talks to a range of schools, voluntary groups and conferences, and less directly through his work on the boards of a range of organisations in the Yorkshire area including Leeds Groundwork, the National Lottery Charities Board and West Yorkshire Playhouse. In this capacity he sought to"'remind as many people as possible of the Guardian and its northern roots and traditions."
Creator: Guardian Newspapers Limited