Last Word as Cooper quits Tribune

MATT COOPER has resigned as Sunday Tribune editor to replace Eamon Dunphy as presenter of the Last Word show on Today FM.

Today FM offered the job to Mr Cooper, 36, last week but he delayed his acceptance in the interim.

Mr Dunphy yesterday described Matt Cooper as “a great choice and a heavyweight journalist”.

Mr Cooper will edit his final issue of the Sunday Tribune this week before joining the Last Word on January 6.

“I have enjoyed my time at the Sunday Tribune enormously and this is the only job that I would have left the paper for,” he said.

When Mr Cooper joined the Sunday Tribune in 1996 he became the youngest national newspaper editor in the country.

Under his guidance, the Sunday Tribune’s circulation rose from 76,000 to 90,000 last year. However, sales have fallen to 85,000 copies this year.

Mr Cooper was noted for his prolific writing output as well as regular stints as a stand-in presenter on the Last Word. He won national journalist of the year in 1993 and in 2001. The Sunday Tribune said he would continue as a writer with the newspaper.

“We are sorry to see Matt leave. He made a significant contribution to the newspaper during his six years in the editor’s chair,” managing director Jim Farrelly said.

Speculation is growing about who will succeed Mr Cooper. “The appointment process will begin immediately and the job will be advertised. It will be similar to the selection process for the Irish Times editor’s job,” said Tribune spokesperson Martin Larkin.

In-house candidates interested in the job may include Martin Wall, Diarmuid Doyle and Paddy Murray, who takes over as acting editor. Mr Jim Farrelly has been mentioned as a candidate, as has Irish Independent business editor Richard Curran.

Much depends on the attitude of Independent Newspapers, which has a 29.9% stake in Tribune Publications.

It may be unwilling to grant a new editor significant funds since this would threaten the market of its flagship newspaper, the Sunday Independent.

When asked about this in an interview last year, the Mr Farrelly said: “To grow your company, you must be financially independent.”