Peter Wilby

Peter John Wilby (born 7 November 1944) is a British journalist.

Wilby was educated at Kibworth Beauchamp grammar school in Leicestershire^[1] before gaining a place at Sussex University, from which he graduated with a degree in History. While at Sussex, he helped found a short-lived university paper called Sussex Outlook. In 1968 he began as a reporter on The Observer, becoming Education Correspondent four years later.^[2] In the same role, he worked for the New Statesman (1975–77), and for The Sunday Times (1977–86).^[2]

Wilby joined The Independent on Sunday in 1990 and eventually became its editor (1995–96). Subsequently, he was editor of the New Statesman from 1998. In early 2002, Wilby apologised for running a cover with the headline, "A Kosher Conspiracy", promoting articles in that issue by John Pilger and Dennis Sewell concerning the alleged Zionist lobby in Britain.^[3] During his period as editor, Wilby has reported turning "a substantial financial loss into a healthy operating profit".^[4]

He was dismissed from the post of editor in 2005, but still writes a weekly "First Thoughts" column for the Statesman. He also writes for The Observer and The Guardian.

Wilby identifies as a feminist^[5] and a republican.^[6]

References

1. "Who's Who in the Press Gang", The Independent, London, 28 August 2006.
2. Dennis Griffiths The Encyclopedia of the British Press, 1422–1992, London & Basingstoke: Macmillan, 1992, p.595
3. Jessica Hodgson "Editor apologises for 'Kosher Conspiracy' furore", The Guardian, 7 February 2002
4. Peter Wilby "Swimming (weakly) against the tide", British Journalism Review, 16:3, 2005, p.23-30
5. http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2015/08/edward-heath-s-enemies-english-cricket-s-old-burnouts-and-why-i-won-t-vote-corbyn
6. http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/may/27/forget-queens-jubilee-kneesup-magna-carta

External links

• First Thoughts column
• Other New Statesman contributions by Peter Wilby