A former Johnston Press news editor has launched a petition in a bid to prevent the regional publisher from closing a weekly newspaper office and moving its journalists out of town.
Dan Howard, who worked for the Reporter Series in West Yorkshire from 1994-2002, has started the online petition calling for the Batley News office to be kept in the town.
The newspaper’s Commercial Street office will go to auction on 11 April and five journalists working for the News and sister title the Spenborough Guardian, which is also based there, are set to be relocated to the Reporter Series head office in Dewsbury.
The move is the latest in a string of office closures as part of the Johnston Press’ aims to move staff to “more suitable” accommodation, with the Sleaford Standard and four titles in Scotland among the latest to be hit.
Dan started out as a reporter for the Spenborough Guardian in 1994, which became part of the newspaper series a year later, and he was later promoted to news editor at sister titles the Morley Observer and Dewsbury Reporter.
He said: “Local newspapers are an integral part of their community and as such should be based within their community. The more distance you put between the newspaper and its readership the more trust and faith will be shaken.
“Sales will be affected and when readers abandon the paper, advertisers will follow.
“This is particularly true where you’re dealing with proud, independent towns such as Batley. Such distance will do nothing to sustain or enhance the relationship between newspapers and the communities they serve.
“Short term savings are guaranteed but in the long term this strategy of centralisation could prove costly for Johnston.”
His petition calls on JP’s Yorkshire Weekly Newspaper Group to reconsider the closure of its Batley office and to maintain a permanent presence in the town.
Dan, who is now a researcher and a caseworker for Batley MP Mike Wood, said those signing the petition included Victoria Salmon, the widow of Barry Salmon who was the last dedicated editor of the Batley News.
The newspaper has announced the closure of its Batley office to readers in a short article, which said its editorial staff will move to the home of the Dewsbury Reporter on Wellington Road, Dewsbury.
The town centre office been put up for auction on 11 April by Eddisons with a guide price of over £65,000.
Johnston Press had not responded to requests for a comment at the time of publication.
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Nice idea, but never going to work. JP doesn’t do reason.
I think the issue is a lot bigger than has been reported. My local paper group (owned by JP) closed three district offices in 2011-12, leaving five papers, all covering different patches, to be run from one office which is only in one of those patches, around half the staff of three years ago. Readers have noticed – sales are massively down. Can only be leading in one direction.
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Batley will still have a newspaper office if the JP lot move; Danny Lockwood has relocated The Press newspaper here from Dewsbury.
Johnston Press debt stands at £319.4m. I believe the interest rate payable is 15%. If the offices in Batley sell for £65,000, this will pay half a day’s interest on the debt.
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sorry Dan but you’re wasting your time; JP doesn’t give a toss about this kind of argument. All they understand is money.
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Rochdale Observer Group (as it was, part of the whole Trust which ran the MEN and Guardian) had offices in all the small towns they had newspapers in. They were all sold off over the last decade and there is now no real link with the community at all. All based in Chadderton, Oldham. The Heywood Advertiser, over 6k circulation in the early 2000s, is selling less than 4,000 a week. Same disgraceful plummet in the other papers. Local sport, which I am interested in, gets virtually no coverage. Reporters don’t go to council meetings. They are all too far away and too remote from their readership. Sad days
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Agree with all of the above – JP is a microcosm of the national situation.. those at the top creaming off the benefits while believing the rest of us should eat cake. Does anyone know what is happening regarding Jon Stokoe’s job at Whitby?
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@Scribbler. I understand from my JP sources that the consultation period has been extended but that JP have no intention of backing down and changing their mind
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Thanks, @House Rules. I would be surprised if they did back down, given that their axe takes priority over common sense, readership, community support, staffing concerns, etc, etc…
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Accurate description, Scribbler!
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JP’s unsustainable debt levels dictate everything and will be the end of this company in its current format IMHO. Every time I read a JP-related item on here I just think of that oft used phrase ‘re-arranging the deck chairs on The Titanic’.
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