The long goodbye

It's rare that I ever get misty-eyed at the mainstream media, but it's a shame to see Alan Rusbridger go. The man praised as "brave, innovative and sometimes visionary" by his predecessor Peter Preston stood down as editor of the Guardian on Friday. His valedictory article is a thoughtful and modest reflection on his 20 years at the helm - a period during which the paper has broken some of the most significant stories of recent years (Wikileaks, phone hacking, Edward Snowden's revelations about US surveillance) while the whole business of news journalism has transformed radically. Rusbridger has been instrumental in ensuring that the Guardian moved with the times - its generally excellent website (widely read, both in the UK and elsewhere) is a fine legacy.

(Thanks to Neil for the links.)