OTD 1972: Veteran journalist retires after 50 years

ATV Today met up with journalist Jim Hyett in his Gloucester newspaper office as he prepares to retire after fifty years of reporting.

Bev Smith talks to Jim about his biggest scoop, his ability with shorthand – 200 words per minute – and the way journalism has changed since 1922. The Gloucestershire News Service was founded a century ago by a local newspaper reporter, Jim ‘Jimmy’ Hyett, to cover courts, inquests and other events in the county on behalf of local, regional and national newspapers.

John Hawkins, who worked as a trainee reporter at the agency in the late 1960s, took over as proprietor when Hyett retired in 1972 and continues to, as of 2023, continue to operate the service. In the Spring of 2020 John decided to launch www.glosnews.com to provide news and pictures direct to the public and the website has been well received, with visits now running into thousands per day.