Murray Morse has left the editorship of the Cambridge Evening News.

He cleared his desk on Friday in a move described by the company as a decision to move on. It is understood that he felt he had taken the paper as far as he could.

An insider revealed that staff were shocked and upset by the news and at losing a capable and experienced journalist.

Staff claim the management at the paper wanted to appoint a group editor above him.

There was no official comment, with managing director Graham Ayres expected to release a statement on Monday.

The paper has won several awards under Murray’s tenure including Newspaper of the Year and Community Campaign of the Year at the EDF Energy East of England Media Awards 2006, Scoop of the Year at last week’s Newspaper Society awards, for Meet City’s Sex-Change Mayor and Mayoress, as well as Front Page of the Year and Campaign of the Year at this year’s internal company awards.

A range of editorial initiatives were put in place, including the introduction of “Sunrise” editions to capture a new audience.

Like most regional dailies, circulation has been falling – around 2,000 to 25,720 in the past year, which is -7.6 per cent.

The newspaper has no deputy, with Murray’s former No2 James Foster leaving to edit the Norwich Evening News last August. Assistant editor John Deex is the senior editorial executive and is expected to run the newsroom for the forseeable future.

Murray told holdthefrontpage on Friday lunchtime that he was still working at the paper and was surprised to be fielding a call.

He joined the paper as editor in November 2004, taking over from Colin Grant, who had been in charge for six years.

Murray’s previous role was deputy editor of the Chronicle, Newcastle.

He has wide experience of newspapers and has previously worked as news editor at the Belfast Telegraph, the Edinburgh Evening News and the Daily Record, and assistant editor at the South Wales Argus and The Sun.

He began his career in journalism at the Worthing Gazette, before moving to the Southern Daily Echo when he became a qualified senior. He was there for seven years, and took in roles including political editor, chief reporter, assistant and then deputy news editor.

He moved to television as deputy news editor for the then TVS company, working on new shows fronted by Fred Dineage and Fern Britton.

He returned to the regional press after working at the Daily Record.

Comments

Mrs I.M Gutted (21/04/2008 08:31:23)
As now a former colleague of Murray Morse. I wish to make public how the majority of the editorial department of the Cambridge Evening News feels. Morale in the office was good, with departments finally getting replacements for positions that had been vacant for months. Then they do this to us! Murray was put into a position where he felt he had no choice, who would be happy to have someone bought in above them…another management role! There was complete shock at the news that Murray was to leave, the staff stood and applauded Mr Morse when he came into the newsroom after we had been told. Some staff were so overcome that they just cried, others were angry, ALL of us were quite simply Gutted. Murray was an Editor that supported his staff and as seen from the Awards we have collected in recent times we gave him our best. He will be sadly missed, As for sales falling, well name us a regional paper that hasn’t shown a sales drop, maybe if our new Sunrise edition was in the shops at Sunrise and not Lunchtimes sales may even improve!!! Murray said a few words before he left, then in a scene I’ve never before witnessed when he walked from the building we all went with him and applauded him all the way to his car. MM will be a hard act to follow, We just wish he hadn’t had to leave!!

Dave Colville (21/04/2008 09:37:15)
Good luck to Murray. I worked with him for a while at the then Southampton Evening Echo.
Great bloke.

Dermot Martin (21/04/2008 09:57:11)
Good luck Murray in whatever the future holds

Mike Conder (21/04/2008 10:27:16)
Murray Morse is a first-rate journalist. If this industry is to have a future it needs the talents of the likes of Murray. His departure will be a grievous loss to the Cambridge Evening News.

Mark Fesco (21/04/2008 11:48:30)
Muzza… what have they done (again!)? The News’ loss is definitely another’s gain!

Newsroom in Mourning (21/04/2008 12:57:10)
Murray is a legend. Under him the paper has won 15 awards and received countless awards nominations. The newsroom is not the same without him. Someone of his calibre should never have been allowed to leave. Good luck in all that you do Murray, we are rooting for you.

I M NotGutted (21/04/2008 13:58:06)
Morse may have been popular in the newsroom but alienated huge sections of the readership with his narrow-minded, scaremongering editorial policy – 2,000 readers becoming non-readers in 12 months says it all for me.

NewsHounds (21/04/2008 14:59:08)
Jog on I M NotGutted! Clearly you don’t know anything about selling newspapers. The fall in circulation is a trend that is sadly afflicting all regional papers. Jog on.

I M NotGutted (21/04/2008 15:13:29)
Morse clearly didn’t know a lot about selling newspapers either – he clearly misread a large section of his market! Yes, I am well aware of the current trend on newspaper sales – the CEN has far exceeded that trend over the last year. Sorry, but this is a consumer product … and a lot of consumers did not like what Morse was doing with the newspaper.

I M Defending (21/04/2008 17:24:46)
In response to I M NotGutted **2,000 readers becoming non-readers in 12 months ** – Its because they died! How many readers does the ‘Snews’ have under 80 years of age? Not many!

Not happy (21/04/2008 17:55:45)
Of course all those in senior management (and from his words, NotGutted seems to be among them) are bastions of wisdom, common sense and decency who would never have something like a vote of no confidence passed against them. Oops. . .

Herr Flick (21/04/2008 18:39:17)
Murray was a top class operator who cared passionately about the CEN and it’s staff. He deserved far better than he has received from our silent management.

I M NotGutted (21/04/2008 19:16:20)
I can confirm categorically that I have no links with the newspaper – and am certainly not a member of the senior management!

Herr Flick (22/04/2008 06:52:37)
Yes, but there are plenty of senior managers at Cambridge. Three Managing Directors or former Managing Directors, when at the same time probably the only regional newspaper in the country to produce both morning and evening papers with editions often only has two reporters in Cambridge. Just a bit top heavy in my opinion with more heavyweights to be appointed.

Scott Douglas (22/04/2008 09:45:58)
I was lucky enough to work with Murray at both the Evening News and the Daily Record and kept in touch with him throughout his time in Wales, Cardiff and Newcastle.
Any newspaper which is not ruffling a few feathers and challenging its readers, as well as the wider community in the area it serves, deserves any reader loss it suffers.
By IM Not Gutted’s yardstick – ciruclation alone – virtually every newspaper editor in the UK in the past 15 years would have been summarily sacked.
In simple terms the entire news industry (not just newspapers!) is wrestling with enormous change – social, financial, mode of delivery – wrought in the most part by the internet, but also by a host of other, complex factors.
The UK has thousands of newspapers. We’re lucky if half a dozen of them are putting on circulation.
More importantly, you’d struggle to find one where the team spirit and endeavour is so positive that a departing boss would be applauded out of the building.
I know from personal experience that Murray can be over exuberant and some of his wilder schemes need reined in by those around him.
But tha
t is an extremely small price to pay when that person is injecting life, vibrancy and a measure of controversy into the coverage, while also engendering self-belief, friendly competition and sheer enjoyment among staff.
Yes, one or two awards can be the result of industry backpatting and the annual process of self-congratulation.
Fifteen, though, is a sign of a paper which is genuinely earning the respect and appreciation of its peers – who, lest we forget, also happen to be readers.
Whatever the future may hold for the news sector in this digital age the one pont which few dispute is that Content Is King.
Against which backdrop, I’m pleased to forecast a man of Murray’s talent and drive won’t want for rewarding work.

Jane Pikett (22/04/2008 10:44:50)
Scott Douglas has summed up the situation accurately and eloquently and, as another former colleague with very happy memories of working with Murray, I am sure he will bounce back with all of his infectious exuberance intact. I hope it won’t be long before another newsroom team is insipired and delighted by his fantastic news sense, his love of the job and of the people who read his papers, and his sheer joie de vivre.

Curious (22/04/2008 13:12:28)
I have read somewhere that a person was appointed over Murray Morse’s head. I have been reading these posts in the hope of finding out who and when. Does anyone know these facts? Who is this person and is he/she now in charge?

Newsman (22/04/2008 14:21:31)
I had the privilege of working with Murray in Wales and have the greater privilege of calling him a mate.
During our time in Wales we produced some of the best papers and coverage in the Argus’ recent history. Much of that was down to Murray.
He is a true journalist’s journalist – the support he has had from his staff on and since Friday only goes to emphasise this.
He won’t be long out of a job and any paper that takes him on will be all the better for it.
He’s also – editors who still have a training budget note – a great trainer of, and inspiration to, reporters.