Campaigning editor Don Hale believes he is about to lose his job – in a row over centralised subbing of Johnston Press Derbyshire titles. The Matlock Mercury editor is currently in the headlines for his work to free convicted killer
Johnston Press
- Head Office: 108 Holyrood Road, Edinburgh, EH8 8AS
- Website: www.johnstonpress.co.uk
Johnston Press was one of the biggest publishers in the UK regional press with 300 weekly newspapers and 18 daily titles.
Growing from a small base in Scotland it expanded rapidly during the 1990s amd 2000s buying up a series of daily titles including The Scotsman, The Yorkshire Post, the Sunderland Echo and The News, Portsmouth.
Its portfolio eventually grew to around 200 regional and local newspapers and associated websites.
The company went into administration in 2018 but swiftly re-emerged as a new business, JPIMedia, which continued the old JP’s publishing activities.
More information can be found on the company’s website at www.johnstonpress.co.uk.
What we have written about Johnston Press
Newspaper division MD appointed
The company which owns the News & Star, Carlisle, has appointed a managing director for its newspaper division. Chris Bisco will take up the job with CN Group in the New Year. He is currently a senior director of newspaper
Chad holds up the vote – but not in Mansfield…
The Mansfield Chad has claimed a tenuous link with the US presidential election farce – reminding readers how the chaos has been caused by their weekly family favourite. As keen followers of the saga will be aware, the punched-out circles
Publishers plan changes
Trade and Industry Secretary Stephen Byers has been asked to allow the South Manchester Reporter and the Heatons and Reddish Reporter to be taken over by the Guardian Media Group without a Competition Commission inquiry. GMG intends to merge the
RIM battle:Three bids cleared
Page 1 of 2 Three possible bids for Regional Independent Media have been given the all-clear by Trade and Industry Secretary Stephen Byers. Gannett UK, which owns Newsquest, Johnston Press and Guardian Media Group have all been given the go-ahead
Searching for more accurate readership figures
A working group of newspaper industry experts are looking for a more accurate way to measure the total audience of regional titles. The different systems available will be reassessed by the Newspaper Society group. The study will also examine ways
RIM report deadline extended
The Competition Commission has put back the date by which it will report to the Department of Trade and Industry on the proposed take over of newspaper publisher Regional Independent Media (RIM) from September 27 until October 6. Gannett UK,
Profits up for Johnston
Johnston Press has revealed a 36 per cent jump in profits in its half-year results announcement. The figure is strengthened by rising advertising revenues, which are continuing strongly into the second half of the financial year. The group, which publishes
Latest on RIM merger bids
Three newspaper groups have been sent “issues letters” by the Competition Commission as the next stage in the process to decide who could take over Regional Independent Media – the sixth largest regional publisher in the UK. This routine step
Union targets Northcliffe titles
Three Northcliffe papers have been targeted by the NUJ as it bids for recognition under the new Employment Relations Act. The move follows discussions between the union and other media companies including Trinity Mirror, Johnston Press, Southnews and Newsquest –
Watchdog role for Elliott
Former regional newspaper editor Geoff Elliott has been appointed to the Broadcasting Standards Commission. Mr Elliott, (55) was editor and director of The News, in Portmsouth, from 1990 until last year when he was sacked after the paper was taken
Shake-up in the top 20 regional press publishers
The largest 20 publishers now account for 84 per cent of all the regional press titles – and 95 per cent of weekly circulation. The figures compare with 78 per cent and 94 per cent at the start of this
New Gazette editor
Damian Holmes has been named successor to Phil Pledger as editor of the Whitby Gazette. Damian, formerly the deputy at Whitby, is now in post and looking forward to taking the 13,000-circulation weekly forward, with the help of his seven
GMG joins Johnston and Gannett in race for RIM
Guardian Media Group is the latest potential bidder to enter the race to buy Regional Independent Media. RIM is already the subject of interest from media group Gannett, which owns Newsquest, and from Johnston Press. All three groups have had
Elliott bound for academia
Geoff Elliott admits he’ll be “very quickly learning about academe” when he takes on his latest challenge. “It’s not a world I know much about really,” admitted the the former editor of The News, Portsmouth, who has been appointed head
RIM proposals referred
Trade and Industry Secretary Stephen Byers has stepped in to referee the race to acquire titles at Regional Independent Media. He has referred Gannett UK and Johnston Press to the Competition Commission after both groups asked for permission to make