A weekly deputy editor and a daily sports editor have left their roles following an editorial restructure.
Newsquest has combined the roles of deputy editor of the Swindon Advertiser and deputy editor of the Wiltshire Times/Wiltshire Gazette & Herald, along with the corresponding sports editor roles.
It means that Pauline Leighton, previously deputy editor of the Advertiser, takes on the group deputy editor role, while Owen Houlihan, who was sports editor of the weeklies, becomes group sports editor.
Advertiser sports editor Steve Butt and Times/Gazette & Herald deputy editor Neville Smith have left the business.
The changes were announced to staff in an email from group editor Gary Lawrence, who oversees all three titles.
It said: “We have completed a 28 day consultation on proposals to restructure two areas of the Wiltshire editorial operation and as a result of that we have decided to go through with the proposal to create a role of group deputy editor and a role of group sports editor.
“Consequently Pauline Leighton will become group deputy editor and Owen Houlihan will be group sports editor. Owen will be based in Swindon but spend time each week at Trowbridge. I’m sure everyone will wish them well and support them in their new roles.
“Unfortunately this means that Neville Smith and Steve Butt will be leaving the business.
“I would like to place on record my thanks for their hard work and the huge contributions they have made to the papers in Wiltshire and I am sure everyone will join me in wishing them well for the future.”
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Yet another sham ‘consultatation’, which leaves fewer people told to cope with the previous/higher level of responsibility and demands.
Really makes you wonder why publishers bother to go through the motions, as all concerned know that the initial proposals will become reality, regardless of the impact on the (ever-dwindling) number of editorial staff, and the quality of their publications.
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And they’re still advertising for a sports writer-sub on HTFP!!
The bare-faced gall of it all.
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The words “pinching” and “penny” spring immediately to mind.
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Will those taking on the extra duties will be rewarded with pay rises? I doubt it. They will be so grateful to still have jobs they will take whatever is foisted on them.
It’s exploitation and it’s wrong. The unions have no clout to do anything about it. What an industry this has become.
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Taking a leaf out of JP book. Some weeklies have no sports editors in the office, just drop crappily written sent in reports on to page. Just awful vanity publishing. Where will it all end?
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