Graduations 2024: University honour for Northern Echo Editor Gavin Foster

Gavin Foster, Editor of The Northern Echo, has been awarded the conferment of an Honorary Doctorate of Letters by the University of Sunderland.

Gavin was born in Sunderland in 1973 and attended Redhouse Comprehensive School where his passion for journalism began, inspired by an English teacher and editing a school newspaper.

After A-levels at Sunderland College, in 1992 Gavin joined Sunderland Polytechnic the same year it gained university status to become the University of Sunderland.

After graduating with a Media degree in 1995, he went on to complete his industry entry exams and joined the Sunderland Echo as a trainee reporter.

Eighteen months later, he went to work for North News press agency, covering major news stories for the national press across the North.

However, Gavin’s passion for wanting to make a difference to people here in the north-east led him back to regional newspapers and the Journal in Newcastle where he worked as Deputy News Editor.

He returned to the Sunderland Echo as Head of Content, before heading to the Hartlepool Mail to be Deputy Editor. When the newsrooms of the Sunderland Echo, Hartlepool Mail and the Shields Gazette merged, he led the teams and titles as managing editor.

A few years later, he became Editor of Chronicle Live leading the team through the pandemic.

At the heart of Gavin’s journey in local journalism has been his tireless desire and drive to give a voice to those without one, to shine a light on the issues that matter, to hold those in power to account, to champion communities and campaign for change.

That pursuit has led to laws being changed and people’s lives made better as a result.

So, when the opportunity arose to become Editor of the great campaigning newspaper The Northern Echo, Gavin couldn’t resist. He was also then made the North Regional Editor for Newsquest overseeing a number of titles and editors across Yorkshire, Cumbria, the North West and North Wales.

Already during his time at The Northern Echo, Gavin has launched some incredible campaigns, including the North East Knife Crime Taskforce which was launched in October 2023 following a spate of tragic teenage deaths in the region.

The campaign, which went on to influence the new Government’s knife crime policy, aims to address the root causes of the issue and steer young people away from street violence.

For many years Gavin has helped to inspire and train the next generation of journalists from the region. He is a key industry advisor, mentor and guest speaker at the University of Sunderland and has helped to develop the careers of many graduates.

Gavin, who is also dad to two daughters, received his honour at the Stadium of Light today (Monday 25 November) during the University’s Winter Graduation Ceremonies, which he attended with his wife and fellow Sunderland graduate Nicola, and his parents, Maureen and Bill.