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Offices close as more jobs go at Midlands titles

Two satellite offices of a daily-turned-weekly newspaper in the Midlands have closed amid more staff cutbacks.

The Kettering-based Northants Telegraph, which switched to weekly publication earlier this year, has shut its offices in the towns of Wellingborough and Rushden.

The move comes amid plans for more job cuts at Johnston Press-owned titles in the county, with  one sports editor role and two features desk jobs at risk of redundancy.

The moves were announced last week, separately to the offer of voluntary redundancy to JP staff in the South Midlands division which has now been rolled out across the whole group.

The proposed cutbacks are the latest in a series of changes affecting the Northants titles over the past six months which began when two of them switched from daily to weekly publication.

Between 10-20 jobs were lost when the Telegraph and the Northampton Chronicle and Echo were relaunched as weeklies in June, while three editor roles have since been made redundant on weekly sister titles.

Brian Dodds of the Harborough Mail, Matt Cornish of the Daventry Express and Simon Steele of the Rugby Advertiser all left in a shake-up this autumn which saw their roles combined with those of other editors.

Telegraph editor Neil Pickford now has responsibility for the Mail, David Summers of the Chronicle and Echo is in charge of the Express, while Chris Lillington of the Leamington Courier is also editing the Advertiser.

Northamptonshire Newspapers managing director Chris Pennock has confirmed that the sports editor roles on the Chronicle and Echo and the Express are to be merged with one job at risk of redundancy.

In a statement issued last week, he said:  “Following recent changes in the editorial structure in Northampton and Daventry the company has today announced the proposal to combine the sports team to create greater efficiencies resulting in a headcount reduction of one.”

Chris has also announced the loss of two features desk roles in Northampton following a “review” of the performance of the Chronicle and Echo’s Image Magazine.

This will involve the scrapping of the role of deputy magazine editor and the loss of one additional feature writer.

Said Chris:  “Prior to any implementation, the company will endeavour to minimise the impact of the proposal through voluntary redundancy and re-deployment to alternative positions within the company and the group.”

Formal consultation periods on both announcements are expected to be completed within the first half of November.

14 comments

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  • October 24, 2012 at 8:44 am
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    Not just the South Midlands Division, North east Press has also given out “invitations”.

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  • October 24, 2012 at 9:24 am
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    @who cares, it’s everywhere, a nationwide initiative. Considering it was unveiled last week I’m amazed it hasn’t attracted greater coverage.

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  • October 24, 2012 at 9:37 am
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    Very sorry for those affected. However, there are still people in the business who I know are considering their options, even though they are not on any at risk list at the moment. If they were to go then it could save some of the other jobs. I hope so anyway.

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  • October 24, 2012 at 10:29 am
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    “Ice berg, right ahead!”

    I wouldn’t be feeling too secure working for JP right now…

    …I give the company 18 months.

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  • October 24, 2012 at 11:04 am
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    Screams of desperation to me.
    We had the announcement last week … well when I say announcement I mean we heard the rumours.
    Apparently it’s group wide and open to anyone … well when I say anyone as long as you work in either Editorial or Promotions/Newspaper Sales.
    They have done it this way so they can pick and choose who they prefer to get rid of.

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  • October 24, 2012 at 11:23 am
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    Instead of getting rid of those in the company who are keeping it afloat with good content, perhaps JP should consider cutting the ineffectual, highly paid layabouts at middle management level. What paper needs deputy editors, assistant editors and a large newsdesk when, after the cuts, there are just a handful of overstretched reporters?
    Reporters come relatively cheap. Why not invest in the product, which is what sells papers and attracts advertising, by hiring more reporters and having less managers?

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  • October 24, 2012 at 11:44 am
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    Divide & rule, eh, Churnalism? JP must love the likes of you.

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  • October 24, 2012 at 11:46 am
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    This has also been offered in our region for all departments except sales. This is laughable considering our ad department is in total chaos with strategy changing direction on a daily basis. As usual it’s the low paid grafters that suffer.

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  • October 24, 2012 at 11:51 am
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    JP also asking for voluntary redundancies in their Mortons Newspapers division in Northern Ireland. This only months after they closed half the offices here and got rid of half of the photographers – there is nothing left for them to cut here.

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  • October 24, 2012 at 12:51 pm
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    If the Extra newspapers are on the up…I’d make a call to them – sales and all!

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  • October 24, 2012 at 4:03 pm
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    Northcliffe and Archant seem to be holding their own, according to the lack of negative stories on here (relatively speaking). Why are Johnston Press in the sorriest state of all? Why is it only them cutting so drastically at the moment?

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  • October 24, 2012 at 9:02 pm
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    Stoke print centre staff are under notice from last Monday.

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