The editorship of The Northern Echo is being advertised externally following the departure of Peter Barron after 17 years in charge.
Publisher Newsquest is seeking a group editor for its North-East business unit to oversee the Echo, the Darlington & Stockton Times and the Advertiser Series in County Durham.
Peter left the paper on Friday after the longest editorship in the title’s 136-year history.
His post is now being advertised on HoldtheFrontPage and can be viewed here.
The advert calls for a “superb manager with experience in editing or news-editing in a similar environment” with “a clear view and strategy for taking advantage of digital publishing.”
“Our new editor will build on the substantial audience we’ve grown online while ensuring that sales of our printed titles continue to out-perform,” it says.
Pending the appointment, an interim management team has been set up with two senior journalists managing the newsroom on a rotating basis.
Business editor Andy Richardson and assistant editor (News) Nigel Burton are sharing the acting editor duties, with deputy editor Chris Lloyd currently focusing on a writing role.
Newsquest is encouraging internal as well as external applications for the role, and North East managing director David Coates said he hoped to have someone in post within three months.
The closing date for applications is 2 May.
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“Our new editor will build on the substantial audience we’ve grown online,” says the job spec. Excellent. This will soon show up in the company accounts, of course, as “building” in the context of a commercial enterprise means clearly identifiable increased revenue. Bring on millions of magic “hits” and the “unique users” who are shouldering our businesses into the golden uplands of a cash-rich future.
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“Up for grabs” is hardly the appropriate phrase to use, unless Peter Barron is really to be replaced by the first person who can burst into his office and sit in his chair. Editorship demands greater qualification than that.
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I hope the new incumbent doesn’t get sick within their first few months in the job. Otherwise they may fall victim to Newsquest’s policy of summoning them to a hearing to discuss their ‘poor performance’, i.e. failure to attend work due to bring in a hospital bed.
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‘Up for grabs’ is such a lazy cliche. Surely our favourite journalism website can do better!
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@pedant
Does it though?
speaking generally across the industry, IMHO ( as the young uns say) These days the real role and kudos have all but gone and the best criteria for an editorship ( ridiculous title) appears to be accepting all the commercial suits and puppet masters throw at them without question.
There are exceptions I’m sure but I don’t know of any.
Gone are the days of an editor being seen as a credible voice in the community,making decisions and challenging the knee jerk strategies passed down from on high,all that’s needed currently is an ability to keep your head down and not have any plans to rock the boat and for that there will be an almighty scramble, so yes I feel ‘ up for grabs ‘ might best describe the process.
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Northern Echo editor role there for the taking? Northern Echo editor role sitting up and begging for it? Get your Northern Editor echo role here (we cut the subs) so we can unnecessarily hyphenate outperform and build on our audiences (huh?)? Someone take the job quickly, we’re getting lost in bickering and confusion here.
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Oh dear. Another group editor, spreading himself or herself rather too thinly for his or her own good or that of the papers I suspect. Well out of it Peter. The Echo cannot thrive under this regime.
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