Walter Greenwood, one of the foremost experts on journalistic law, has died at the age of 87.
Mr Greenwood, who for more than 30 years was, with Tom Welsh, co-author of McNae’s Essential Law for Journalists, died at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle on Saturday.
He had been suffering ill health for a year. Mr Greenwood was a major force in journalism training and advising on British journalistic law for more than 40 years.
His period as co-author of McNae’s covered 13 editions of the book, which is known as the media law Bible for journalists.
He was still closely connected to McNae’s he wrote the chapter on media law in Northern Ireland for the latest edition, and earlier editions as well.
His duties until recently also included heading the National Council for the Training of Journalists’ law board, helping set the standards of legal competence expected of trainee journalists.
His work with the NCTJ spanned almost 40 years, making him one of the longest-serving contributors to the organisation’s work.
It started with him spending his first term on the North East regional committee in the 1960s, then chairing the NCTJ media law board in the 1970s.
He was persuaded to return for a second term as law board chairman from 2004 to 2006. He was also a consultant to Media Lawyer when it was launched by founding editor Mr Welsh.
Mr Greenwood spent most of his career working for Thomson Regional Newspapers and Trinity Mirror, and as a law training consultant for Press Association Training.
He was an assistant editor at Thomson Regional Newspapers when he began co-editing McNae’s Essential Law for Journalists with Mr Welsh.
In the 1960s, when he was already a respected regional journalist, he was asked to help found Thomson training centres in Newcastle and Cardiff.
Just a month ago, although by now living in a care home because of his health, he was still checking papers for media law examinations for trainees at the centre.
For years, Mr Greenwood also guided editors and reporters on newspapers and in broadcasting operations, nationally and regionally, through the shoals of legal dangers which often threatened to sink their stories.
He became the first recipient of the Journalists’ Charity Award at the 2010 British Press Awards, recognising outstanding achievement by a journalist. Mr Greenwood has been a supporter of the charity in one way or another for more than 50 years.
He also received the NCTJ’s Chairman’s Award in 2010 in recognition of his contributions.
Mr Greenwood started his career as a reporter with the Dewsbury Reporter series, and later joined the Middlesbrough Evening Gazette as deputy news editor.
It was after this that he teamed up with John Brownlee to form the nucleus of the training team that was to become so influential within the Thomson Regional Newspapers group.
He is survived by his wife Doreen.