The Portsmouth News has announced it is axeing the role of deputy editor in a fresh round of job cuts.
Bosses at the South Coast daily have outlined plans to reduce headcount by the equivalent of 3.6 full-time roles in a memo to staff yesterday.
The proposals mean long-serving News deputy editor Mark Acheson has been placed at risk of redundancy.
Mark, who began his career at the Hartlepool Mail in the early 1980s, has been deputy at the Johnston Press-owned title for the past decade under both the current editor Mark Waldron and his predecessor Mike Gilson. He was acting editor of the paper for an eight-month interregnum following Mike’s departure to edit The Scotsman in 2006.
The restructuring plans, which also affect sister weekly the Petersfield Post, were announced in a statement by managing director Karl Dimmock yesterday.
It read: “Portsmouth Publishing and Printing Ltd have announced the proposal to restructure the editorial department of The News in Portsmouth and the Petersfield Post to create greater efficiencies.
“As a result of this proposal there would be a headcount reduction in features, sport, photographic and the removal of the role of deputy editor. The total reduction would amount to 3.6 FTE.
“Prior to any implementation, the company will consult extensively on an individual and collective basis and it is anticipated that this consultation process will be complete by the 26 June 2012.”
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I may be being dim but what does “3.6FTE” mean? Is it a type of Audi?
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Any deputy editor out there who is still in a job – and doesn’t want ‘out’ – should be asking for another role pdq… it’s usually the first on the chopping block in any cuts.
Then, if it’s a group of papers, it’s the editors whose necks are on the line until there’s only one left.
That comes on top of non-replacement of any natural wastage and heavy pruning of subbing staff and reporters.
Photographers are also at the top of the hit list, if there are any left to sack.
It’s all totally depressing and we haven’t hit the bottom yet.
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Full Time Employees. Not sure how you get 3.6 of them though…
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The management statement is a piece of Orwellian double speak. ‘Greater efficiencies’ will, of course, lead to greater inefficiency and ‘headcount reduction’ may attempt to mask the human cost but it will do no such thing to the people so carelessly and callously described as ‘3.6FTE’. But as long as the shareholders are happy …
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Pretty sure shareholders are delighted at all the recent jobs shedding convulsions at JP…the tactic is obviously having the desired effect…oh, hang on, has the JP share price just slipped yet again? Don’t worry…we’ll have even more cuts…more people’s lives to be thrown on the bonfire of the inanities, then!
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Hi Mark, if you read this – hope all goes well for you. Jeremy
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FTE= full-time equivalent
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