Trinity Mirror has appointed a series of regional editors-in-chief as the company’s wholesale reorganisation of its publishing operations continues.
Five of the company’s most senior editors have been given new roles overseeing all the titles within their region.
They include Rob Irvine, who is made editor-in-chief of the company’s Manchester and Huddersfield titles the day after being named as the next editor of the Manchester Evening News.
The move may shed further light on yesterday’s surprise decision by MEN editor Maria McGeoghan to leave the company.
As well as Rob, the new editors-in-chief are Liverpool Echo editor Alastair Machray (Merseyside, North Wales and Cheshire), Newcastle Evening Chronicle editor Darren Thwaites (North East), and Birmingham Mail editor David Brookes (Birmingham and Coventry.)
Western Mail editor Alan Edmunds, who was already editor-in-chief of the Media Wales division, is additionally appointed as deputy to editorial director Neil Benson.
Said Neil: “We are fortunate to have an exceptionally strong group of editors across our regional business.
“The appointment of an editor-in-chief in each of our daily publishing regions will enable us to work even more cohesively and to accelerate the development of our newspapers and websites.”
Alan will combine his new role with his job as editor-in-chief of Media Wales but will give up his role as managing director of Media Wales, which will no longer exist.
Neil added: “Alan’s promotion is richly deserved. He and I have worked together over several years and I am looking forward to an even closer working relationship as we tackle the challenges that face the industry.”
The latest changes conclude a dramatic week for the company’s regional division which also saw two regional managing directors’ posts axed.
Bob Cuffe, MD of North East division ncjMedia and Warren Butcher, MD of the North West and North Wales division are now in consultations about their futures, as is Nigel White, publishing director in Huddersfield.
The changes mean a new reporting structure across the group with all daily editors now reporting to an editor-in-chief rather than to a divisional MD.
The editors-in-chief will in turn report to the company’s two regional managing directors, Steve Anderson Dixon (Wales and North West) and Simon Edgley (Midlands and North-East.)
In the North-East, Brian Aitken, editor of The Journal, Newcastle, and Chris Styles, editor of the Evening Gazette, Teesside, will report to Darren while in the Midlands, Darren Parkin, editor of the Coventry Telegraph, will report to David.
In Merseyside and North Wales, Alison Gow, newly-appointed as editor of the North Wales Daily Post, will report to Alastair, while in Manchester and Huddersfield Roy Wright, editor of the Huddersfield Daily Examiner, will report to Rob.
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Hmm. This had pretty much better work, hadn’t it, or Anderson Dixon et al are going to feel a bit stupid.
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SAD is not a stupid person I can assure you!
Good Luck Steve
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Georgina Harvey, managing director of Trinity Mirror Regionals, said: “Bob knows this region like the back of his hand and his understanding of the marketplace coupled with over 25 years of experience means he is expertly equipped to drive the North East business forward.”
HTFP July 2011
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So, sack a few more of the commercial heavyweights, re-shuffle the editorial deck-chairs and everything will be alright.
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@furryoldgreybadger
Yeah whatever
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Little Plum say: Um heap big amount of um chiefs. Where are all um Indians?
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This is classic nonsense, typical stuff from the usual suspects. Let’s shuffle all these important people around, give them important titles. Too many executives have no idea what is going on in their papers and in their communities. Is it any wonder the model is broken.
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bluepencil: Most of um experienced Indians were given the bullet a long time ago. There are still some poorly-paid graduates around tho…..
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Hope they realise this is the beginning of the end – Trinity/Mirror style. Mark my words
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