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Jobs to go as Suffolk daily axes Saturday edition

The Ipswich Evening Star is to move to five-day a week publication and drop the ‘evening’ from its title with the loss of 14 editorial jobs.

The Archant owned newspaper is to be renamed the Ipswich Star, with a separate edition for Felixstowe, and will publish from Monday to Friday only from January 23.

It Saturday edition will be replaced by a new Ipswich edition of sister title the East Anglian Daily Times.

Archant says the changes will result in a reduction of 14 roles from the existing 91-strong editorial team.

Those at risk of losing their jobs include photographers, sub-editors and feature writers. Newsdesk, sport, commercial and business writers will be unaffected.

Archant said the changes to the Star would “properly reflect its overnight publishing pattern and geographic strongholds.”

Other changes will see the company launch a new free weekly title, the Stowmarket Mercury, to cater for the fast-growing market town.

And the Star will get a new 25,000 circulation free, home-delivered, edition to be distributed on Thursdays.

Archant Anglia managing director Johnny Hustler, said:  “Ipswich has found the going tough economically over the past few years. The requirements of our readers and advertisers are changing and we must adapt and innovate if we are to meet their needs in the future.

“These proposals are designed to rebalance our activities and focus so that we satisfy our customers’ needs and grow our audience in the times ahead.”

Star editor Nigel Pickover added:  “The Star is a powerful and potent title, winning many fights for its readers and advertisers, and we look forward to continuing to serve our communities in Greater Ipswich and Felixstowe.”

Daily Times editor Terry Hunt said:  “Our Saturday edition, already the best-selling of the week, will now be strengthened further and we hope many more readers will be able to enjoy its news, sports and feature platforms.”

7 comments

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  • January 5, 2012 at 2:56 pm
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    I may be naive, but I can’t see how merely dropping one day’s edition can cost the jobs of sub-editors and photographers, plural. For a start, there’s Saturday footie to cover from the touchline.
    There’s more to this – what else is going to be lost from your esteemed organ, Mr Pickover? But of course, “evening”…instead of subbing Saturday’s stuff on Friday, they’ll be subbing Monday’s stuff, and probably Tuesday’s stuff. The first nail in the coffin for live news, as has happened already all over the country.

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  • January 5, 2012 at 3:10 pm
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    “Star editor Nigel Pickover added: “The Star is a powerful and potent title, winning many fights for its readers and advertisers, and we look forward to continuing to serve our communities in Greater Ipswich and Felixstowe.””

    How can he say all this nonsense and fail to offer any kind of regret for those losing their jobs? That quote says absolutely nothing and is frankly insulting to his staff.

    Yet again another backward step dressed up as a positive move. I’m all for being positive but you can’t ignore the misery this will cause for 14 people who presumably will still have bills to pay and precious little in the way of opportunities.

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  • January 6, 2012 at 9:44 am
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    What isn’t mentioned above is the ABC sales figures for saturday, average is 15,000 day, saturdays tend to be worse

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  • January 6, 2012 at 12:04 pm
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    What a surprise to hear Nigel Pickover still rattling on about the “vibrancy” of the paper that he has personally led to a steady decline in sales and readership over recent years. I recall when the group was locally owned and run by local highly trained journalists and included thriving weekly titles which Archant closed in the vain hope that the evening and daily titles would gain readers.
    Shame on the management and the first step on the slippery slope to oblivion for the Evening Star – pity the poor editorial staff. Ironically no news of this – as yet – on their website.

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  • January 11, 2012 at 3:35 pm
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    You make some good points about the coverage of live news Glad I’m Out Of It.

    In Oxford the Mail places pages 1-7 for Monday’s paper at 4pm on a THURSDAY with newsdesk having to throw everything across to the subs that night.

    It’s just pure laziness on the part of the editors.

    Why create more work for them on Sunday afternoon with the coverage of live news and interesting weekend events when you can cram the paper full of holdable stuff written a week in advance?

    It’s really sad, but the way things are going.

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  • January 12, 2012 at 4:42 pm
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    Johnny Hustler should surely be employed as an American private eye with a name like that….

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