Brad Jones has been appointed editor of the East Anglian Daily Times, only the ninth editor in its 143-year history.

For someone born and bred in Suffolk, it’s a proud and exciting day for me as I take charge of the East Anglian Daily Times.

I’m only the ninth EADT editor in its 143-year history, following in the footsteps of Sir Frederick Wilson, Bertrand Ellington, Ralph Wilson, Don Simpson, Rod Kiddell, Ken Rice, Malcolm Pheby and Terry Hunt.

So it is a huge privilege and quite a responsibility – but one I’m relishing.

Before talking about the future, I’d like to first recognise the enormous contribution made by my predecessor.

I was lucky enough to work with Terry for more than 21 years, and I count myself among the hundreds of journalists over the years to have benefitted from his talents as an editor.

His clear vision for what the EADT should be, his calm, measured approach, unswerving integrity and kindness have been an inspiration. Terry will be greatly missed by us all here at Archant.

While today is a new era for the EADT, I’m certainly no stranger to the paper.

I’ve been Acting Editor for the last month, and was News Editor for 10 years before becoming Ipswich Star Editor in August 2016 – a role which I will retain.

So it’s a dream come true to now take the helm on a permanent basis.

It may be a rapidly changing media landscape, but our fundamental principles remain the same - the EADT must inform, surprise, entertain and connect with Suffolk’s many different communities on a regular basis.

We can now do this in so many different ways in print and online. And it’s not just about reporting the news - we need to build bonds with communities, providing a voice and a platform.

I want the EADT to celebrate our wonderful county but also use our power and influence to make a really positive difference and enhance people’s lives.

Our brilliant team of journalists will continue to produce the most compelling and trusted content out there. That word “trusted” is really important at a time when we hear lots about “fake news”.

And we want to continue to help our advertisers, our brilliant business community, reach a growing local audience.

I’d love to hear your views on the EADT, and how we can serve your community. Please write to me at the email address above.