Regional publisher Johnston Press has announced plans to create a centralised production unit for one of its divisions, putting jobs at risk.
Sub-editors working at titles in the South Division were told about the plans at the end of last week to create a divisional production centre in Horsham, West Sussex.
The move would affect those working at Portsmouth daily The News and weekly titles including the Chichester Observer, Hastings Observer, Worthing Herald, Eastbourne Herald and the Crawley Observer – with some staff having to travel more than 50 miles to reach the new hub.
Under the plans, sub-editors currently working in Portsmouth would face a two-and-a-half hour round trip each day to travel to the new unit in Horsham.
It is not known how many sub-editors are affected but Johnston Press said it would aim to limit the impact through voluntary redundancy and redeploying staff to other positions.
In a statement, the company said: “Following a detailed review of editorial production across the South Division, it is proposed to create a divisional production centre in Horsham, within Sussex Newspapers Ltd, handling work for all titles across the South Division.
“Prior to implementation of the proposed transfer of work we will consult extensively on an individual and collective basis.
“In the event the proposal goes ahead, the company will endeavour to minimise its impact through voluntary severance and redeployment to alternative positions within the company and the group.”
Last month, plans by Johnston Press to dismantle much of its centralised subbing hub in Sheffield were revealed, which has led to members of the National Union of Journalists voting to go on strike.
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There are a few odd things about this, but here’s the oddest: Hampshire’s biggest daily newspaper will now be subbed in Sussex. Sussex’s only daily paper (The Argus) is now being subbed in Hampshire. Very strange. Maybe JP and NQ can organise a mass job swap?
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Ah. Consultation. That means if people don’t want to be pushed around like cattle, spoiling their lives, they don’t have to be. JP- the caring company who still think life is local.
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AH the old subbing hub swap… I do believe this is what they did in the South West with Northcliffe. First a bunch of the subbing guys had to move between Bristol and Plymouth and then about another year after selling their homes and moving their kids from one school to another they all lost their jobs. Johnston Press people run! Run as fast as you can
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I was an employee at Northcliffe East Midlands until December. The hub there lasted for eighteen months and I’d be surprised if this one does either. Run like the wind, JP staff. Personally, I prefer unemployment to working in a hub. At least there’s no soul-crushing drudgery and constant fear of looming redundancy at home. Get out of this obsolete industry while you can, everyone!
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I too worked in a “hub”, for JP in the Midlands. Having a young family to look after, I made the very easy decision to find a new career away from newspapers. I now earn more than I ever did, enjoy my work and have respect from my bosses. I also refuse to buy JP newspapers – they can go to hell (oh, they already are).
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Jeez. Pretty soon there will just be a few very nicely-suited managing directors standing in an empty office wondering why the lazy subs haven’t managed to get the papers to the press on time. Oh yeah, that’s right. We sacked them all.
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The hub there lasted for eighteen months and I’d be surprised if this one does either. Where is a sub when you need one?
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What you fial to realise is that without efficiencies being made there won’t be any jobs for any of us. PLEASE try and be a bit MORE understanding and a bit LESS selfish. If you have to travel or change jobs, think on. Many people have it worse.
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Very funny, PRlass. You’re a wind-up merchant and I claim my five pounds.
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Dave – what’s your new job? Let us all in on the secret of more money and happiness. Back to the issue at hand – isn’t it time newspapers looked at working from home alternatives. They could keep local hubs but save on long-term costs for buildings,lecy, etc. have a chief sub (do they still exist?) and asst. ch. sub in the office and everyone else could work remotely.
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I wonder how PRlass would feel if her employer said that her job would be moving 50 miles away. What’s more, her pay would be cut to a level at which it would not be worth working. That is the fate of JP subs who will be expected to work in the journalistic equivalent of a battery egg farm.
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JP cleared out the subs from the Sussex weeklies you mention two years ago when the Horsham hub was first proposed. HTFP reported the issue at the time. I doubt there are more than a couple of token subs left in the Sussex operation, unless the newly created content editors are included.
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PR must be joking. Please tell us you are. Lucky? to be taking a pay cut of well over £1,000 a year. (petrol in car). Lucky? To uproot family to some boring town that sleeps day and night. Mind you newspaper firms aren’t alone. Camerons Big Society consists of a load of big business bullies pushing people from pillar to post while sitting on their fat overpaid backsides. My partner’s firm, nothing to do with papers, is just as loathsome in its appalling treatment of human beings. Can’t help thinking bosses are taking advantage of the continued third world state of our economy to get rid of what remains of the workforce of Britain. All those new jobs? part-time shelf stackers. Better hang in with JP and Newsquest after all.
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Do you think management order their lackies to come on here as their apologists every time there’s a bad news story?PRlass here, and another idiot commenting on the Sheffield story seem to think there is nothing wrong with top staff leaving in protest, and people on around £20,000 a year being asked to fund a daily 100-mile round trip to work in a sweatshop. No – there won’t be any jobs left soon if no-one tells bosses they are bringing about the early demise of their papers. ps I got out of full-time journalism in 2002 when I was earning a decent £24,500 on a regional evening.
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For PRlass: First they came for the subs, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a sub. Then they came for the photographers, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a photographer. Then they came for the reporters, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a reporter. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.
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I never said anone was lucky, I just wanted to say that complaining in the current climate is indeed selfish and that some of you lot on here have had it cushy for too long anyway. Hate to brek it to you folks but the pampered world (ooo shall we have a cuppa) local newspapers isn’t ‘as hard as it gets’. Some of you lot wouldn’t last five minutes in PR! I can tell you that!
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Very sad times and despite what the apologists may claim (with a straight face?) this is yet another blow for local newspapers. That’s alas what the management does not get – people are angry because they care. Perhaps painting us as work-shy moaners is an easier alternative than listening. Despite what the bean-counters and slave-drivers may claim, journalists are willing to make sacrifices for their profession but it should be a two-way street. Instead of incentives the management feel the need to whack and bleed the workforce – a punishment for hard work? As a former JP employee I grew sick of managing directors (jumped-up little ad reps) making crass, short-sighted decisions which anyone with an ounce of common sense (or say, five mins of journalism experience) would have seen were plain stupid and guaranteed to drive away readers – and eventually their own staff. However, perhaps that is the plan? After all, the sub hub in Peterborough (which helped shave off a sizeable chunk of staff) lasted all of five minutes before it was decided actually subs weren’t needed (hooray for Atex, which has proved an invaluable tool for journalism). The end product? More subs chucked out the door and erm, more and more mistakes and erm, more and more disgruntled members of staff. I would urge anyone thinking of joining Johnston Press to think carefully first. Career progression? Incentives? A good future? Afraid not.
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PRlass: I can only imagine you are bitter because you were forced out of your reporter role on a local newspaper. Maybe this was for a number of reasons but primarily because your writing is shambolic. Also I imagine you are a pain in the backside to work with.
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PR: if weeklies are so cushy go get yourself a job on one. my paper covers a patch of 120,000 people countless villages and three big towns with one full-time reporter. We just sit and drink tea all day. It’s great.
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@byter In PR you have to work damned hard for a living, in weeklies it’s all pontificating about hyphenating words – who cares? Welcome to the present.
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PRLass: Joined the dark side (PR) after getting made redundant by JP. The work is shite, but far far easier, much less of it and far less stress. My mental and physical health have both improved since getting out of JP.
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Er, wasn’t this tried before at Horsham two years ago, only to be promptly abandoned? So why the volte-face? Bizarre. Oh well, I’m sure the powers-that-be know what they’re doing this time … won’t they? Let’s hope (or not!) that the JP lawyers are clued up on constructive dismissal legislation…
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PR lass. not sure which paper you worked on but in the present industry no time for pontificating about anything. But your attitude shows why 90 per cent of press releases from PR firms are so badly written. The shame of our industry is that so many of them end up in the papers unchallenged and unchanged because no-one has time to re-write them. Whatever planet you are living on I am glad you are happy in your work.
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@OilCity, I noticed that the second I hit post and just knew somebody would mention it. Sorry OilCity, sorry English language, sorry everyone…
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I think all your comments justify why I earn much more than you and am not in fear of my job. Grow up and stop being so bone idle.
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Ee am considerahbly richah than yow! Loved that Harry Enfield sketch – pure comedy. A bit like PRLass’ post. So content in her work she needs to come here as a wind-up merchant. You must be so proud!
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PR. I don’t believe you exist. No-one can be so ignorant of the real world.
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I’m pleased to say I no longer work for JP. Problem with JP was it got too greedy. The facts are laid bare as some JP papers in my area are full of mistakes, particularly factual ones. If you don’t spot a spelling mistake of a place name it can mean losing readers who no longer have any confidence in the paper. It’s the same as any brand, but JP is run so badly they have their heads in the sand. Cutting back may help shareholders, but you shouldn’t hurt your core business just to keep shareholders happy, because eventually they won’t be when the whole thing goes down the pan!
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