A regional daily’s assistant editor has left the newspaper to take up a senior role on the London Evening Standard.
Jason Collie worked his last day at the Oxford Mail on Friday, after almost 10 years at the paper.
The New Zealander has now taken up the role of assistant editor on the London Evening Standard’s website, which he began yesterday.
Jason previously served as news editor at the Reading Evening Post, a position he also held at the Mail.
During his time in Oxford, Jason spearheaded a number of online initiatives including a Whatsapp news alert service, which picked up subscribers from 45 countries, and an online Advent calendar showcasing the Mail’s photographs fo the year.
He told HTFP: “I am hugely excited about my new job but sad to be leaving a great team at the Oxford Mail and its sister titles after almost 10 enjoyable years.
“Oxford, like many other places, has gone through huge change over the past six years but from the editor Simon O’Neill down there have always been people committed to produce the best possible papers and website they can.”
“Despite the challenges, regional and local papers have to retain that spirit to properly cover their communities and hold authorities to account and that culture remains in Oxford.”
He added: “Because of that, amidst all the major events and rip-snorting yarns we’ve covered, I would have to pick my highlight at Oxford was our work on the appalling literacy rates in the city.
“When we first started covering the issue we were received the usual dismissals you’d expect that we didn’t understand the complexities.
“But we refused to give up and eventually, to give Oxfordshire County Council its dues, it launched a reading campaign that has seen real results.
“We know that primary school children in Oxfordshire are now getting a better level of education; and it is that type of thing that shows the true value of the regional and local media because it can make a difference.”
Jason’s departure comes after the National Union of Journalists claimed that seven editorial staff working in management news, photographic and sport are facing redundancy at the Mail.
The Newsquest-owned title has declined to comment on the reports.
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Good luck Jason. All the very best at the Standard.
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Jason is obviously a hugely talented man taking a logical career step and good luck to him. However, the real story here lies in the ominous final two pars and I suspect we’re not far off another depressing announcement. I predicted here on 31.12.14 there would be devastation in the local press this year. I probably understated the case.
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Good luck Jason, one of the most dynamic, forward thinking journalists I have come across
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Good luck Jason, the Standard is lucky to have someone so forward thinking. Your abilities were wasted at the backwards thinking Newsquest.
Additional redundancies at the Oxford offices:
Senior features writer
Two sports reporters
Librarian
Deputy picture editor
Senior photographer
The Newsquest-owned title has declined to comment on the reports.
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Jason is one of the most talented and forward thinking journalists I have worked with and this position is well deserved. I learned a lot from him during my almost four years at the Oxford Mail. Above all, he’s a genuinely decent guy.
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