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Two more editors depart in Trinity Mirror restructure

Paul WinspearTwo editors have been made redundant after a restructure of Trinity Mirror’s recently acquired East of England newspapers.

Herts and Essex Observer editor Paul Winspear and the Harlow Star’s Ken Morley have both left the business after a consultation which saw 12 jobs put at risk.

Their departures mean Hertfordshire Mercury editor Julie Palmer will be in charge of all three former Local World papers in her role as Herts and Essex Newspapers senior editor, with some other new positions being created as part of the changes.

Paul has served as editor of the Observer, where he began his career as a 19-year-old trainee in 1983, since November 2006.

Prior to taking over there, he also edited the Star and the Mercury.

Paul, pictured above left, worked his last day at the Observer on Friday.

In a farewell piece, the 53-year-old said: “It has been a tremendous honour and a joy to have edited the paper and to have played a role in championing the communities it serves.”

On the same day, Observer news editor Sinead Holland also finished after being made redundant in the restructure.

Sinead, 49, also started her career at the Observer aged 19 and went on to the Star and the Mercury before freelancing for the titles when her three children were younger.

She said: “It has been a huge privilege to meet and write about many inspirational people during my time at the Observer.”

8 comments

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  • July 26, 2016 at 10:02 am
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    At the risk of repetition,”and so the carnage continues”
    Wholesale cuts across the editorial departments of the main uk regional press groups in a short period of time and with what appears to be a clear remit to reduce the number of editors across the industry ,it really is not a good time to have the word “editor” in your title is it?

    good wishes to those affected this week

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  • July 26, 2016 at 10:26 am
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    The group features editor, Sue Webb, was also disposed of with Paul and Ken. Another 20-odd years’ experience binned off by TM.

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  • July 26, 2016 at 10:51 am
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    I find it very telling that this kind of ‘culling’ story has to a greater degree lost much of its shock value with it being so common these days.

    I would imagine most editors still in position must be updating their cvs as we speak as those that remain are living with the uncertainty of when their number will be called,i don’t fear for the good people cast aside here who i am sure will find work outside of the traditional and dying uk regional press and it took me see it as a happy release watching it all implode forms distance.

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  • July 26, 2016 at 10:55 am
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    Other casualties include long-serving group sports editor Alan Scott (10+ years experience, if I recall correctly) and the enormously talented Vikki Lince, who was the last remaining photographer and with several decades’ experience under her belt. Nothing short of a bloodbath.

    Still, if you look on Facebook, the Observer has now launched its very own Tog Squad – a group for readers to submit shots which will make up 100% of the paper’s photographic content! I bet they pay a handsome price per image though… *pig soars past window*

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  • July 26, 2016 at 12:08 pm
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    The destruction of journalism by those who don’t know any better is scary indeed for the future. But another item announces that a new masters degree in journalism is launched. Training people to do what job exactly?

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  • July 27, 2016 at 10:12 am
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    It’s not just editors, although they are obviously high-profile casualties. Everyone at TM feels like they have a massive target on their backs.

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