Here's some good news to start the New Year. A publisher is launching a new free weekly in the North West rather than closing titles, HoldtheFrontPage reports today.
Champion Media Group, based in Southport, will start circulating the Aintree and Maghull Champion to around 15,600 homes in the two areas of Merseyside from mid-January. Significantly, the Champion group claims the new newspaper will be "welcome news for readers and advertisers alike" after Trinity Mirror closed satelite offices and reduced its titles and distribution in the area last autumn.
Champion Media Group managing director Betty Drummond has come up with a provocative quote aimed squarely at the big publishers: "We believe readers and advertisers deserve local newspapers that will support them in times of trouble and not turn tail and run."
Showing posts with label Hold the Front Page. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hold the Front Page. Show all posts
Friday, January 2, 2009
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Map of misery shows journalists' job cuts and newspaper office closures continue to grow
The NUJ has produced a Google map showing the alarming scale of journalists' job losses and newspaper office closures across the UK and Ireland. The list of job losses and posts left vacant is continuing to grow.
Redundancies at The Argus, in Brighton, saw Ruth Addicott who edited the Woman section at the Newsquest-owned paper leave yesterday after four-and-a-half years on the title. She joined the paper from Press Gazette, where she was magazines editor. Her departure follows a review of editorial departments which has seen a number of experienced staff leave. She intends to go freelance.
Roy Greenslade on his MediaGuardian blog slams Newsquest today and says it had "provided a master class in how not to carry out the painful task of cost-cutting." He also claims the company "is involved in a orgy of short-term panic measures that are bound to reduce the quality and quantity of its print and online content."
The NUJ has estimated that at least 500 regional jobs have been axed or left vacant since June. The union is supporting a campaign to save the office of a local paper from closure. Archant has announced plans to close its offices in Exmouth and Sidmouth, relocating journalists on the Exmouth Journal and Sidmouth Herald to Exeter.
Members of the local community in Exmouth are campaigning for the decision to be reversed. NUJ general secretary Jeremy Dear said: “Quality local papers play a crucial role in our communities and are enormously valued by their readers – that’s clear from the way people have rallied behind the campaign to keep the Exmouth Journal in Exmouth. I would urge Archant to reconsider its plans, which can only damage the relationship between the paper and its readers.”
HoldtheFrontPage reported yesterday that six jobs are set to go and the editors of two weeklies forced to compete for the same job at Newsquest's Wiltshire operation. The publisher has announced it is merging the newsrooms of the Wiltshire Times and the Wiltshire Gazette and Herald. Wiltshire Times editor Neville Smith was handed a redundancy notice on Monday - less than six months after he took up the post. He must now compete for his job against his counterpart from the Gazette and Herald, with ten posts across the two titles being reduced to four in the proposed new structure, HTFP said.
Redundancies at The Argus, in Brighton, saw Ruth Addicott who edited the Woman section at the Newsquest-owned paper leave yesterday after four-and-a-half years on the title. She joined the paper from Press Gazette, where she was magazines editor. Her departure follows a review of editorial departments which has seen a number of experienced staff leave. She intends to go freelance.
Roy Greenslade on his MediaGuardian blog slams Newsquest today and says it had "provided a master class in how not to carry out the painful task of cost-cutting." He also claims the company "is involved in a orgy of short-term panic measures that are bound to reduce the quality and quantity of its print and online content."
The NUJ has estimated that at least 500 regional jobs have been axed or left vacant since June. The union is supporting a campaign to save the office of a local paper from closure. Archant has announced plans to close its offices in Exmouth and Sidmouth, relocating journalists on the Exmouth Journal and Sidmouth Herald to Exeter.
Members of the local community in Exmouth are campaigning for the decision to be reversed. NUJ general secretary Jeremy Dear said: “Quality local papers play a crucial role in our communities and are enormously valued by their readers – that’s clear from the way people have rallied behind the campaign to keep the Exmouth Journal in Exmouth. I would urge Archant to reconsider its plans, which can only damage the relationship between the paper and its readers.”
HoldtheFrontPage reported yesterday that six jobs are set to go and the editors of two weeklies forced to compete for the same job at Newsquest's Wiltshire operation. The publisher has announced it is merging the newsrooms of the Wiltshire Times and the Wiltshire Gazette and Herald. Wiltshire Times editor Neville Smith was handed a redundancy notice on Monday - less than six months after he took up the post. He must now compete for his job against his counterpart from the Gazette and Herald, with ten posts across the two titles being reduced to four in the proposed new structure, HTFP said.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Regional subbing jobs may be outsourced to PA
HoldtheFrontPage reports today that two major daily newspapers in Yorkshire may have their subbing operation outsourced to the Press Association.
It says that the editors of both the Yorkshire Post and the Yorkshire Evening Post attended a presentation at parent company Johnston Press's Edinburgh HQ last week. Union reps at the two Leeds-based titles say that when they asked management what the meeting was about, they were told that it was to discuss the possible outsourcing of subbing work.
Johnston Press has refused to comment to HTFP, despite being one of its four owners, but it reports that "it is understood that outsourcing is one of a number of options being considered."
Peter Lazenby, joint father of the Yorkshire Evening Post/Yorkshire Post NUJ chapel, is quoted as saying: "We knew the editors were up in Edinburgh so we got a meeting with management.
"We were told they were having presentations from three firms, one of which was the Press Association, about possible outsourcing of subbing work.
"It was made clear to us that there are options and one of those is the outsourcing of subbing work at the Yorkshire Post and Yorkshire Evening Post."
If subbing was outsourced to PA by Johnston it could start a trend across the regional press, leading to a loss of sub editing jobs. Some national newspapers are also thought to have talked to PA about the agency taking over some of their subbing operations.
It says that the editors of both the Yorkshire Post and the Yorkshire Evening Post attended a presentation at parent company Johnston Press's Edinburgh HQ last week. Union reps at the two Leeds-based titles say that when they asked management what the meeting was about, they were told that it was to discuss the possible outsourcing of subbing work.
Johnston Press has refused to comment to HTFP, despite being one of its four owners, but it reports that "it is understood that outsourcing is one of a number of options being considered."
Peter Lazenby, joint father of the Yorkshire Evening Post/Yorkshire Post NUJ chapel, is quoted as saying: "We knew the editors were up in Edinburgh so we got a meeting with management.
"We were told they were having presentations from three firms, one of which was the Press Association, about possible outsourcing of subbing work.
"It was made clear to us that there are options and one of those is the outsourcing of subbing work at the Yorkshire Post and Yorkshire Evening Post."
If subbing was outsourced to PA by Johnston it could start a trend across the regional press, leading to a loss of sub editing jobs. Some national newspapers are also thought to have talked to PA about the agency taking over some of their subbing operations.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
More bad news from Newsquest
MediaGuardian is reporting tonight that Newsquest is considering closing 10 free newspapers and a monthly in the North West. Meanwhile HoldtheFrontPage reports: "Newsquest North West is considering closing its £17m printing plant in Bolton which opened in 2001. If the move goes ahead, printing of its two dailies. The Bolton News and Lancashire Telegraph will switch to outside Newsquest. The decision comes amid what the company is calling 'extremely tough trading conditions and the expectation that revenues will continue to fall through 2009'."
The NUJ has accused Newsquest of "the betrayal" of its journalists in the North West, claiming the latest cuts have come within a couple of months of the last round in the region, during which journalists were told there were no plans for further closures.
NUJ assistant organiser Jenny Lennox said: “Given that just two months ago Newsquest North West management told us that there were no plans for further closures, it’s no wonder journalists feel betrayed. The removal of almost all editorial staff from Bury to Bolton means that after 155 years the Bury Times will have virtually no editorial presence left in the town."
Over the past three weeks, Newsquest has axed editorial jobs at the Northern Echo, Bradford Telegraph and Argus, Hereford Times and in Glasgow at The Herald, Evening Times and Sunday Herald. The NUJ has estimated that 500 jobs have been axed or left vacant by regional newspaper publishers since June.
The NUJ has accused Newsquest of "the betrayal" of its journalists in the North West, claiming the latest cuts have come within a couple of months of the last round in the region, during which journalists were told there were no plans for further closures.
NUJ assistant organiser Jenny Lennox said: “Given that just two months ago Newsquest North West management told us that there were no plans for further closures, it’s no wonder journalists feel betrayed. The removal of almost all editorial staff from Bury to Bolton means that after 155 years the Bury Times will have virtually no editorial presence left in the town."
Over the past three weeks, Newsquest has axed editorial jobs at the Northern Echo, Bradford Telegraph and Argus, Hereford Times and in Glasgow at The Herald, Evening Times and Sunday Herald. The NUJ has estimated that 500 jobs have been axed or left vacant by regional newspaper publishers since June.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Watch out the consultants are about
Just when you think things can't get any worse, Hold the Front Page reports that consultants are about, this time at Archant in Norfolk, conducting a dreaded productivity review to "measure journalists' output". These are the people who can't understand why reporters and subs sometimes have nothing to do and are then engulfed in work. It's called news, stupid.
Good to see HTPF posters are giving the consultants a pasting.
Hilary Jones: "If Archant want to save money, why spend the consultants' fees?"
Lister: "If managers need to bring in consultants to tell them what is wrong with their business, then that says more about the managers than it does the journalists they are supposed to be managing. Sadly, it's the same in every newsroom - certainly my own. We are being run by people who really do not know what they are doing and should not be let loose within a mile of a newspaper."
Observer:"There was a 'productivity review' at Northcliffe when I worked there - it was called 'Aim Higher', but was christened 'Aim Fire'. And that's exactly what happened. I wonder how many of these consultants have spent hours on the phone trying to track down a quote or a contact, or half a day in court to get a 400 word splash? None I expect. These things are not very productive in one sense, but they get the stories and sell the papers. That's what journalists are for, you fools."
Good to see HTPF posters are giving the consultants a pasting.
Hilary Jones: "If Archant want to save money, why spend the consultants' fees?"
Lister: "If managers need to bring in consultants to tell them what is wrong with their business, then that says more about the managers than it does the journalists they are supposed to be managing. Sadly, it's the same in every newsroom - certainly my own. We are being run by people who really do not know what they are doing and should not be let loose within a mile of a newspaper."
Observer:"There was a 'productivity review' at Northcliffe when I worked there - it was called 'Aim Higher', but was christened 'Aim Fire'. And that's exactly what happened. I wonder how many of these consultants have spent hours on the phone trying to track down a quote or a contact, or half a day in court to get a 400 word splash? None I expect. These things are not very productive in one sense, but they get the stories and sell the papers. That's what journalists are for, you fools."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
