AddThis SmartLayers

Award-winners under threat in cuts to regional daily feature desk

A feature writer named the best in the UK at last week’s Regional Press Awards is among five editorial staff at risk in planned cuts to a regional daily’s features operation.

Trinity Mirror has announced proposals to reduce the features pagination at the Leicester Mercury in order to focus resources on content “which best serves our multimedia audience.”

The move would also see some locally produced features pages replaced by content created centrally at Trinity Mirror’s shared content unit.

Among those whose jobs are understood to be under threat is Lee Marlow, who was named Feature Writer of the Year for the third year running at last Friday’s Regional Press Awards.

The front page of a special Sunday edition of the Mercury produced earlier this month to mark Leicester City's Premier League victory

The front page of a special Sunday edition of the Mercury produced earlier this month to mark Leicester City’s Premier League victory

The role of features editor, currently held by Jeremy Clay, is also set to disappear as a result of the proposed changes.

In 2013, Jeremy picked up the Supplement of the Year prize at the RPAs on behalf of the Mercury’s More Magazine team.

Trinity Mirror said in a statement: “The Leicester Mercury’s editorial operation has been reviewed in the light of the need to focus local editorial resources on creating and managing content which best serves our multimedia audience and at the same time to manage our costs efficiently in what remains a challenging economic environment.

“As a result it is proposed that the volume of features content published in print and online will be reduced. This would involve a reduction in features pagination. Some locally produced features pages would be replaced by content created for use across titles by the Trinity Mirror Shared Content Unit (SCU).

“Should the proposal go ahead, and as a result of the proposed reduction in work activity within this team, there would be a reduction in headcount of three full time employees.

“The process of consultation with those affected by this proposal is now under way.”

The latest proposals come after the company cut four photographer roles at the newspaper last month.

April also saw editor Kevin Booth leave the Mercury for “personal reasons” with Manchester Evening News editor Rob Irvine replacing him on an interim basis.

Yesterday Trinity Mirror announced changes to a number of titles across England and Wales which could see more than 15 jobs lost overall.

Around 75 roles have been lost or placed at risk since TM’s £220m takeover of Local World last autumn.

19 comments

You can follow all replies to this entry through the comments feed.
  • May 27, 2016 at 3:27 pm
    Permalink

    Ah, ‘shared content’…the phrase which signalled the end of my own career in newspapers, courtesy of Trinity. Of course, the readers are too thick for anything longer than 500 words, unless it’s about a football match…at least that seems to be Trinity’s view.

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(18)
  • May 27, 2016 at 4:15 pm
    Permalink

    When TM gets busy it certainly goes for broke… literally in the not too distant future, I feel. Lee and Jeremy will probably have that sinking feeling right now but in a year’s time, when they’re doing well-rewarded jobs for employers that appreciate talent, they will look back and think what on earth they were doing with this dismal company. Best of luck, everyone.

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(30)
  • May 27, 2016 at 4:23 pm
    Permalink

    So some of the best talent and finest writing to be found in regional journalism is not what “best serves our online audience”. Instead, let’s have clickbait, listicle cobblers from Anywhere, UK. Wishing all the very, very best to all affected.

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(33)
  • May 27, 2016 at 4:55 pm
    Permalink

    Er, the Shared Content Unit writes mainly for print. How does clickbait work in print, Philbert?

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(5)
  • May 27, 2016 at 5:22 pm
    Permalink

    Does anyone know which moonbeam is actually running this crackpot strategy – and presumably conning TM’s top brass that is a sound and rational way to manage the portfolio?

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(16)
  • May 27, 2016 at 6:12 pm
    Permalink

    Damn Me, not referring to “shared content unit”, but to the crackpot notion that online audiences aren’t interested in the clever, incisive writing of the kind produced by LM’s features team.

    Although doubt that the LM’s remaining print readers will be thrilled to learn that Leicestershire stories & features will be replaced by generic guff either, to be honest.

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(2)
  • May 27, 2016 at 6:33 pm
    Permalink

    That’ll learn ’em :-)

    Working hard, being brilliant at what they do, winning awards and embracing the digital world means nothing to the boys with the sharp pencils and financial spread sheets.

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(9)
  • May 28, 2016 at 8:17 am
    Permalink

    Damn Me, I think Philbert is referring to the features writers having to make way for what “best serves our online audience” – which has a tendency to be clickbait/listless – and is what TM is prioritising.

    The shared content unit’s would then fill the features sections in the paper.

    Just the latest “strategic decision” that makes one’s eyes roll. It is one to please the money men only and moves such papers further away from interesting stories happening in their communities – involving the very people they expect to buy their papers. Best of luck to all those affected.

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(3)
  • May 28, 2016 at 1:18 pm
    Permalink

    The newspaper industry is suffering a medium-term problem, which will in due course be a long-term problem but which, very soon will not be a problem at all, on account that that there won’t be any newspapers left.

    The problem is not how do we deal with the internet. It is how do we deal with the idiotic management that are in charge of the task of trying to find a solution to the internet?

    Clueless managers, who ran print into the ground when print still had a future are now rushing around trying to come up with online solutions. Each failure, and there have been a great many to date, brings the lose of more jobs and the readers’ faith in the product.

    Print loses. Online doesn’t gain. Advertisers desert. Shareholders despair. Managers change strategy. Repeat

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(15)
  • May 28, 2016 at 6:05 pm
    Permalink

    Looks like Kev’s ‘personal’ reasons might have been a conscience. Ridiculous decision from a company who only knows how to cut

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(3)
  • May 29, 2016 at 1:20 pm
    Permalink

    It’s happening in the West region, too – the Gloucestershire titles’ features editor was made redundant a couple of weeks ago and two vacancies will be left unfilled. With earlier redundancies in January as a result of a subbing/sport/features ‘restructure’, that leaves barely any capacity to write or edit features. They’re replaced by more bland generic SCU pages and much less that’s actually of interest or relevance to people paying good money for their local paper in Gloucestershire. But of course TM isn’t seriously interested any longer in providing anything worth buying in print, so it becomes a self-serving spiral of decline.

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(6)
  • May 30, 2016 at 9:58 am
    Permalink

    In order to win awards, one generally has to invest resources into producing a worthy entrant, be it (paying) a top writer, taking people off diary for an investigation, great design, or whatever. Resources which are, as ever, ripe for cutting.
    So while award-winners might find it easier to get re-employed, winning is a double-edged sword.

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(2)
  • May 31, 2016 at 9:07 am
    Permalink

    “OldCynic. If you think readers are “thick” maybe it’s best you’re out of the business.

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(1)
  • May 31, 2016 at 9:40 am
    Permalink

    Mr I:

    “OldCynic. If you think readers are “thick” maybe it’s best you’re out of the business. ”

    Presumably the same comment can be applied to Trinity Mirror? And let’s face it, he who toils for today’s regional press and it without cynicism, is indeed a lost soul.

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(3)
  • May 31, 2016 at 9:55 am
    Permalink

    As Paul Weller said – ‘the public wants what the public gets’.

    Good luck to all those whose talents are so under appreciated by TM.

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(5)
  • May 31, 2016 at 10:43 am
    Permalink

    So more shared content that can be pumped out across the nation – interviews with soap stars, football news and generic food stuff – don’t forget the food stuff, once the BBC food site goes everyone will turn to their local paper website won’t they?
    This kind of thinking isn’t just rubbish for the hardworking, talented writers concerned, but for society. Newspapers need to be the guardians of the people. Who will keep an eye on the authorities, courts, the system, once the sites are filled with only “national interest” celebrity BGT XFactor soapstars football tedium?

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(11)
  • May 31, 2016 at 11:06 am
    Permalink

    Why does everyone on here always assume that you can only be successful online with clickbait? And that content produced primarily for a digital audience has to be of a lower standard than the stuff produced for print?

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(7)
  • May 31, 2016 at 11:18 am
    Permalink

    Being given an award in my experience is usually the precursor to bring given the boot, so many times good people, advertising as well as editorial , have had an award, usually from their own group, only to find they’ve also been singled out for the red card treatment in double quick time, my advice, keep your head down and avoid awards at all costs, they count for nothing and in this day and age aren’t worth including in a cv.

    Good luck to those affected in this latest round of job cuts, and good luck to those nominated for awards in the future, it’s a sure sign you’re soon to be headed for pastures new.

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(5)
  • May 31, 2016 at 11:51 am
    Permalink

    Confused – perhaps because “the stuff” produced by the redundant talented expert writers and photographers, award winners, the people who gather and sort the fine detail, sports and investigative specialists, inspiring editors (including those who ask just how much money is being made online), are being ruthlessly binned under this smokescreen.
    UGC and centrally produced guff plus click-bait is replacing all this. Why are you confused?

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(3)