A family-owned weekly in the Midlands is axeing three of its ten journalists in a cost-cutting move.

Stratford Herald editor Chris Towner said the move had been forced on the paid-for title after the recession proved “deeper, darker and more protracted” than he had hoped.

The three posts under threat are those of news editor, sub-editor and one of the paper’s two photographers, with the individuals concerned now in consultation with management.

Chris told HTFP: “Like everybody else we’re having a rough time and it doesn’t look like it’s getting any better. We thought we could weather the storm as we have done in previous recessions but this one has proved deeper, darker and more protracted.”

However the paper’s three-strong reporting team is unaffected by the cutbacks.

Added Chris: “My strategy has been to keep the frontline troops in place.”

The title is owned by the Boyden family and has an average weekly circulation of around 15,000. It is not registered with the ABC.

Its circulation area is bounded by bigger groups on all sides – Johnston Press to the south, Trinity Mirror to the north, Newsquest to the west and Bullivant Media in Stratford itself.

Comments

Northern Snapper (18/03/2010 10:31:15)
If Mr Towner’s strategy is “to keep the frontline troops” in place, why is a photographer being made redundant?

M Edwards (18/03/2010 11:51:05)
How convenient for Chris Towner to blame the recession. So why is it that other newspapers are beginning to experience growth and are taking on new reporters? The Herald needs to take a very long hard look at itself and begin to acknowledge its own editorial weaknesses. It’s a paper which sadly seems to lack any vision for the future whatsoever and is badly in need of modernisation and leadership. For too long it has been complacent and fearful of change, and now it is paying the price. It has entirely failed to embrace new technologies, for example. Just look at its dated website, half of which does not work and which has no new news on it.
Staff at the Herald need to wake up to reality and act now to save the paper. The Stratford Herald could be a great product once again, if it just started trying. So don’t blame the recession, Mr Towner.

LlangelyninLady (18/03/2010 12:01:06)
Just looked at the paper’s website, hardly any photos. No wonder they are getting rid of snappers!

HenleyT (18/03/2010 13:00:11)
The sad thing is, this newspaper is no longer serving the interests of most people in Stratford-upon-Avon and the surrounding county. That’s what many people here think.

Bored of the snipers (18/03/2010 14:38:09)
Just had a look at the website. Not dated at all and has plenty of photographs. Remember this is an independent paper and hasn’t got the budget of Johnston Press, for instance, with their dreadful cloned sites. Besides which, the future for papers like this is to invest in the paper, not the internet.
By the way, I have no connection to this title, just get bored by the snipers.

Bored of idleness (18/03/2010 15:01:42)
Invest in the paper then rather than websites, just invest in something. But idly sitting there, cutting editorial staff, blaming the recession and then wondering why a potentially great product can’t attract enough advertising isn’t going to help is it?

John Gilchrist (18/03/2010 15:20:13)
I am far from surprised. I’ve been a Herald reader for 25 years and the deterioration in the paper’s quality has been obvious. Whilst at one point it was the sole source of news for the Stratford area, the owners don’t seem to have realised that there is now local competition and that the world’s moved on. From what I’ve heard it is the lack of direction and ambition that has seen the decline of what was once a major voice of the town community. It’s now a lacklustre publication with too many mistakes made, and no attempt to capitalise on the town’s unique place in world culture.

Pedantic old bugger (22/03/2010 16:11:30)
Before making comments some people should find out the facts. The Herald has fought to maintain its integrity, save its staff and still produce an honest, trustworthyk newspaper. This is something we sadly lack these days.
Having worked on the Herald for two years and being one of the three referred to in the article I am unable to condone comments made here about the management of the company in general and attacks on the editor, Chris Towner, who has had to make the toughest decision an editor ever has to make.
I hope the Herald survives the assaults from outside forces, it deserves to survive.

POB (22/03/2010 16:13:06)
Damn it, that ‘k’ had to creep in at the last moment.

George Smith (24/03/2010 12:04:39)
I think the point you are missing, POB, is just how much better the Herald could be if it did have the vision M Edwards refers to. It is surely an editor’s job to constantly look and see how a title can be refreshed and rise to all challenges put in its way? Clearly something is not working at the Herald and just blaming the recession but doing nothing about it is the response of a tired editor. As you are on the inside perhaps you could kindly tell us what changes have been made in recent years to improve the paper? How has it responded to the recession?
The recent incident of the Cox’s Yard headline, see the link below, was shameful and the way in which it was made light of in an apology made matters even worse. I know of several local businesses who say they will not advertise in the Herald as a result of that. Heads should have rolled for that incident.
http://www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/funny/100226apology.shtml