He joined the
Liverpool Post on graduation, moving to
The Guardian five years later as a sub-editor.
The Observer He was the editor of the British national Sunday newspaper
The Observer from 1998 to 2007. Under his editorship,
The Observer's editorial view supported the
invasion of Iraq, a stance that Alton, speaking to
Stephen Sackur on the
BBC's
HARDtalk (22 August 2008) has since admitted may have been incorrect. He resigned on 24 October 2007 after "a bitter falling-out with senior figures at the title's sister paper,
The Guardian", and left
The Observer at the end of 2007. Previously he was arts editor and G2 editor of
The Guardian. He oversaw a rise in circulation during his editorship and introduced the award-winning Observer Sports, Food, and Music Monthlies.
The Independent In April 2008, Alton was confirmed as the new editor of
The Independent, beginning work on 1 July 2008. Joining at the start of the recession,
The Independent's circulation and advertising revenues fell sharply. He also wrote a fortnightly sport column in the
Spectator. Alton resigned from
The Independent in April 2010 when the paper reverted to its former editor,
Simon Kelner. ==Personal life==