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Regional publisher axes deputy editor roles

Around seven senior editorial posts including at least three weekly deputy editors have been axed at a group of regional newspapers in North Wales.

NWN Media, publisher of the Wrexham-based Leader and associated weeklies, said the redundancies were the result of a restructure following the economic downturn.

In a letter to staff NWN told them the redundancies were being made because of uncertain trading conditions.

HTFP understands that those affected include Emlyn Roberts, deputy editor of the North Wales Chronicle, North Wales Pioneer, and Rhyl Journal, Mark Lingard, deputy editor of the Powys County times, and Peter Jenkins, deputy editor of the Denbighshire Free Press.

The Mold-based company publishes 16 titles including the Leader, Flintshire Standard, Whitchurch Herald and Chester Standard.

Editorial director Barrie Jones told HTFP the redundancies were part of a restructuring plan.

He said: ‘The trading position within local media companies remains very uncertain. NWN Media like many other newspaper groups is facing difficult challenges and there is little evidence of real recovery in the economy.

“As a consequence we need to reduce our editorial costs in line with business needs with a restructure of the department.

“An internal project group was set up earlier this year to examine all our options and its recommendations were agreed by the NWN Board.

“Consequently, a number of editorial roles were identified as being at risk of redundancy. We have been speaking to those members of staff affected over the past few weeks.”

Mr Jones would not confirm the amount of job losses, or which departments were affected.

However HTFP understands that as well as the two weekly deputy editor roles they also include a sports writer and photographer on The Leader.

2 comments

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  • June 17, 2011 at 12:26 pm
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    What a depressing litany of woe on HTFP today.

    Looks like I picked a bad day to give up tequlia slammers.

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  • July 11, 2011 at 9:19 am
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    The paper has made the decision for the cheif photographer role to be redundant because he was paid slightly more than other staff photographers, the quality of his work was constantly of a high quality and still doesn’t make any sense why he has been let go. I feel sorry for the remaining 3 photographers that run around like blue arsed flies and even more so when someone is off. Surely people in the office that nobody knows what they do who sit right next to the Editor in Chief should have gone first, but if you sit at the centre table you are surely going to be one of the last to go. Good luck SWT as a freelance photographer, this is the making of you x

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