Comments on: Weekly editor made redundant in Yorkshire shake-up

By: Soon To Be Unemployed

Soon To Be Unemployed — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 16:54:23 +0000

Danny Lockwood,
Please can you let me have your email?

By: Danny Lockwood

Danny Lockwood — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 11:37:30 +0000

If any sacked JP staff want to collaborate on launching a low-cost, locally-driven product into Brighouse, Todmorden, Hebden Bridge, Huddersfield or wherever, they can contact me and I will be more than willing to help. I can provide production, back office, print and distribution if they can provide a bit of local passion, pride and someone on the ground to write stories and flog local ads – at properly affordable prices! Just get in touch.

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By: Ex JP

Ex JP — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 09:22:45 +0000

I feel very sorry for all JP staff, as well as the newspaper business in general. Where is it all going to end?
Unless the government steps in I can see only a handful of regional papers surviving past 2020. And even then, it may only be online versions that keep going.
I hate to say it, but print as we know it is finished.

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By: Ill-informed

Ill-informed — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 08:02:41 +0000

“I reckon if a few old-school style local newspapers set up shop in areas abandoned by the likes of this lot, then advertisers would ditch the big corporates quicker than you could say “annual rate rise”. Get a slick website, some proper journalists doing proper stories and it’s game on.”

I think that’s naive. The start-up costs will be unquestionably high and the returns – from newspaper sales and advertising – debatable. I wouldn’t be confident that readers would flock to buy this old-school newspaper if they’ve not been buying the current title, regardless of any improvement in quality.

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By: King very Cross

King very Cross — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 17:04:45 +0000

Diane Crabtree – who has loved her job and pulled in the stories for the Halifax Courier for a lifetime – also gone in an instant in this madness which saw Stephen Firth lose his job. The Courier’s very heart has stopped beating! But there’s always platform neutral to look forward to!

By: Crowman

Crowman — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 16:20:30 +0000

As a former Jonhston Press employee, I can honestly say, hand on heart, that nothing this company does surprises me.

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By: Cherrywonder

Cherrywonder — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 15:16:38 +0000

Yeah well, no one said it would be easy. I reckon if a few old-school style local newspapers set up shop in areas abandoned by the likes of this lot, then advertisers would ditch the big corporates quicker than you could say “annual rate rise”.
Get a slick website, some proper journalists doing proper stories and it’s game on.
To the barricades.

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By: House Rules

House Rules — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:52:48 +0000

@Scaredforfuture

If i was an editor at any of the Scarborough Evening News’ sister titles I would be getting my CV up to date

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By: Ill-informed

Ill-informed — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:29:25 +0000

“It leaves the door wide open though for someone to dive in and set up a small independent weekly that would actually be based somewhere near the towns it will be writing about – or “communities we serve” as the accountants like to say.”

Good luck with that.

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By: Scaredforfuture

Scaredforfuture — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 13:02:44 +0000

Rumours of another big JP announcement end of this week – goodness only knows what about. Probably yet more dailies becoming weeklies. JP has only guaranteed the safety of the Scotsman and Yorkshire Post. It is hard to concentrate on work when you just feel sick all the time.

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By: Cherrywonder

Cherrywonder — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 12:41:00 +0000

It leaves the door wide open though for someone to dive in and set up a small independent weekly that would actually be based somewhere near the towns it will be writing about – or “communities we serve” as the accountants like to say.

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By: Dying breed

Dying breed — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 11:12:52 +0000

Wow this is turning into a proper bloodbath!

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By: Pigeon on the roof

Pigeon on the roof — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 09:39:17 +0000

So Johnston Press are losing a good journalist, a man of integrity, a man with high standards and a good-hearted person. They don’t deserve him anyway. Good luck for the future Stephen – there is a whole new world out there for you to enjoy. You are only on this earth once so go and spend quality time with your family. I have yet to meet someone on their death bed who said: “I wish I had spent more hours flogging my guts out for Johnston Press.”

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