Alan Rusbridger, who has held the post of editor-in-chief at The Guardian for the last 20 years, has been announced as the new principal of Lady Margaret Hall.

Although the heads of Oxford colleges are typically senior academics, Rusbridger is the latest of several leading media figures to assume the role.

In 2011, Will Hutton, former editor-in-chief for The Observer, became principal of Hertford College, and Mark Damazer, former controller of BBC Radio 4, assumed the role of master of St Peter’s College in 2010. The former producer of Newsnight, Panorama and Timewatch, Tim Gardman, has been serving as principal of St Anne’s College since 2004.

Issa Patel, a first-year PPEist at Lady Margaret Hall, saw no issue with Cambridge graduate Rusbridger’s media background and hoped that his untraditional credentials would “perhaps fare him and the college well”.

Patel added: “He must able to continue and expand upon Francis Lannon’s projects and development of the college if the college is to continue on with its momentum”.

Rusbridger announced he was stepping down last week, after an article in The Independent revealed his plans to resign from The Guardian. He is due to take over the Scott Trust, the supervising body of The Guardian, in 2016.

On Twitter, Rusbridger stated that he “look[s] forward to combining Scott Trust &LMH” as well as “a little more writing” and “even some more piano”.

In assuming the role of principal, Rusbridger will succeed Dr. Frances Lannon, who is standing down this September. Rusbridger has previously been linked to positions at Cambridge University, where he studied English Literature at Magdalene College. He has also been a visiting Fellow at Nuffield College, Oxford.

In recent years, Rusbridger’s editorship has attracted widespread attention, due in part to The Guardian’s of Edward Snowden’ leaked NSA files.

Lady Margaret Hall declined our request for comment.

Photo: Getty Images/Stephen Lovekin

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