The Press Association has agreed a deal to produce a series of local glossy lifestyle magazines for newspaper group Johnston Press.

The agreement covers 15 printed titles to be distributed monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly in various parts of the UK.

Local Johnston Press centres will supply the majority of the editorial content and all advertising while PA will provide editorial content covering topics such as fashion, beauty, health, interiors and food.

PA’s magazine design team in Howden, East Yorkshire, will produce around 700 pages a month to Johnston Press’ style and specification, including the placement of all advertising, before sending them direct to a single print centre.

PA managing director Tony Watson said: “This is important new work for the Press Association as we continue to establish our credentials as producers of high-quality magazines for major consumer publishers. It also strengthens our successful partnership with Johnston Press.”

Andrew Richardson, JP’s business development manager, added: “This important initiative makes it easier for us to produce high quality magazines, and it provides advertisers with an improved environment for their advertising.”

Comments

F. Johnston (27/05/2009 09:15:07)
Johnston Press staff already produce these publications in addition to producing their newspapers. How long before JP use this move as an excuse to get rid of more of their own journalists . . . and how long before they outsource production of their newspapers to the Howden sweatshop?

JP worker (27/05/2009 10:40:59)
PA’s a sweatshop. JP thinks “broadening the portfoilio” is the wisest way to attract new print advertising while core business flounders. And these magazines will be trash.

Jp Fun (27/05/2009 13:43:19)
There may be trouble ahead…more mis-management.

Demoralised JP employee (27/05/2009 15:12:53)
These pages could have been done by JP studio employees! This company would rather pay thousands of £££s to PA than invest in their own staff. Another bad decision – made without even consulting those who do the job. Money down the drain for the sake of a small investment in their own people!

Christina Prado (27/05/2009 16:20:36)
How can paying an outside contractor to design and assmble the etc/lifestyle brand magazines be good business. This deal must be costing Johnston’s many thousands if not in the short term then certainly in the long run. A very small investment in their southern studio could have resulted in these products remaining in house. Afterall this studio was producing the original etc magazine with ease. PA only place the advertising pages in templates. Southern studio still design and assemble them so in actual fact PA are only compiling the editorial pages.Oh and sending them to the printers….SIMPLES as Alexander Meercat would say. Money for old rope i’d say….
I wonder how Mr Tim Bowdler’s doing….(ex Johnston’s Chief exec now PA’s, coincidence surely)

P. S. (28/05/2009 10:03:25)
Johnston Press should have gone to Specsavers – another short-sighted decision made by high level management who appear blind to the bigger picture. This certainly isn’t a case of getting another pair free; perhaps JP should take the opportunity to focus on repair and regrowth rather than a short-term ‘fix’ that doesn’t actually fix anything. Resources already exist within the company to accomodate these publications – instead of investing thousands into PA an investment of considered time into itself would have proven to make more economic sense.

Subway Sid (28/05/2009 20:36:36)
JP management panicked when they got rid of so many highly experienced production journalists. Clearly, there was work for them to do, so how can JP have legally made them “redundant”?