Newsnight editor Stewart Maclean has unexpectedly quit as the BBC considers making dramatic cuts to its flagship current affairs show.After less than two years leading Newsnight, Maclean has decided to become BBC World News Content’s Africa bureau chief, meaning he will relocate to Nairobi, Kenya.Sources said the timing of Maclean’s departure has left colleagues “aghast” because it coincides with a period of uncertainty for Newsnight.BBC News managers are looking to make up to £5M of cuts to Newsnight, with talks ongoing over axing its team of correspondents and making the show more debate-led in its content.Many think stripping Newsnight of its original reporting could sound the death knell for a show that has been an agenda-setting fixture on BBC2 since 1980.A BBC insider acknowledged that the timing of Maclean’s exit was not ideal, but said he was moving for reasons that were unrelated to the discussions about Newsnight’s future.In an email to colleagues, Maclean said his move to Africa could not have been “timed more badly,” but stressed that he was leaving for “deeply personal” family reasons.“I’m acutely aware of how stressful the last few weeks have been for our team amid speculation about proposed changes to the programme. I know there’s a huge amount of uncertainty and I’m sorry to be signalling my departure at a time of such instability,” he said. “Despite the current uncertainty, it is clear that Newsnight will continue into the future and I have no doubt it will thrive.”Paul Danahar, BBC World News Content executive news editor, told staff: “Stewart is one of the BBC’s most creative and accomplished editors in News. As the head, and deputy head, of Newsnight he has consistently delivered high-impact original journalism.“He has proven editorial leadership, has managed a large team of journalists and has a track record of finding and developing new talent.”Maclean, who has previously reported on Southern Africa from Johannesburg, is expected to take up the new role in the coming months. He will be replaced as Newsnight editor.Maclean’s exit comes just days after he admitted that Newsnight did not “quite get it right” with a recent debate about right-wing news channel GB News.Adam Boulton, a former Sky News anchor, and Conservative MP Caroline Nokes called for the channel to be taken off-air after a misogynistic rant by actor Laurence Fox. Their views were not balanced by a voice supporting GB News, which has since fired Fox.Maclean has been Newsnight editor since January 2022 having previously spent more than five years as deputy editor and assistant editor.
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