Arthur Henry Mann (journalist)

Arthur Henry Mann (born 7 July 1876, Warwick, England; died Folkestone, Kent, 23 July 1972) was a British newspaper journalist, who edited the Yorkshire Post from 1919 to 1939, where he was known for his "resolute independence" and helped precipitate the Edward VIII abdication crisis by publishing criticism of the King.^[1] He was a recipient of the Order of the Companions of Honour and a governor of the British Broadcasting Corporation.^[2]

Journalism

He began his career with the Western Mail in Cardiff.

In 1919 he became editor of the Yorkshire Post. Under his editorship, the paper helped precipitate Edward VIII's abdication by breaking the press silence over the King's actions and publishing criticism of the King by the Bishop of Bradford.^[1] He also opposed Neville Chamberlain's policy of appeasement, with the aid of his leader writer Charles Tower who had lived in Berlin.^[1][2]

As an editor, according to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, he was not a learned man and did not write much himself, but he had a good knowledge of world affairs and a shrewd nose for the newsworthy, as well as being a good judge of people.^[2]

He resigned from the Yorkshire Post in 1939 following repeated run-ins with the owners, when they decided to merge the paper with the Leeds Mercury.

He was chairman of the Press Association from 1937–8.

Later career

He was a governor of the British Broadcasting Corporation from 1941 to 1946.

Personal life

In 1898 he married Aida Maggi, from Cardiff. After her death, in 1948 he married Alice Mabel Wright.

While on the Western Mail he played cricket for Glamorgan County Cricket Club, and reached near-county standard.^[1][2] Later he turned to golf.

Honours

He twice declined a knighthood in the 1920s, believing it might interfere with his journalism.^[2] In 1941, he became a Companion of Honour.

References