The National Union of Journalists is calling for more incentives for editorial staff after a regional publisher unveiled plans to send its top salespeople on a trip to New York.
Johnston Press has launched a 12-week digital sales initiative called ‘I’m a salesperson… get me outta here’.
It will see a number of prizes given to the top salespeople and teams, including bottles of champagne, cash prizes of up to £500, and a prize draw for a long weekend break in New York, including two days off work.
The competition will have weekly and monthly prizes, and is based around achieving targets for the company’s online platforms, including jobs.
Chris Morley, Northern and Midlands NUJ organiser said: “Johnston Press’s new chief executive Ashley Highfield comes from a background in digital and I can see that he will be wanting to expand this side of the business.
“And it is great that workers in the advertising department are in line for such rewards – but I ask where are the incentives to editorial staff for their heroic efforts in providing quality digital content with massively reduced staffing levels, on the back of which advertising is sold.
“Our members are right to feel neglected by the distant board executives. Directors need to wake up to fact that it is quality editorial that drives website traffic and that needs to be properly rewarded too.”
Johnston Press declined to respond to the union’s comments.
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NUJ should grow up. How many sales staff complain about all those freebie press trips for journos?
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What freebie press trips for journos??? some news rooms are now so short staffed reporters don’t even get to leave the office to conduct interviews on their own patches let alone take up the offer of a press trip!
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Press trips! I remember those. If anyone remembers the last Electricity Trade Fair jaunt to Harrogate, let’s have a reunion!!
What was it, 30 years ago?
Journo is spot-on. We’ve just launched an offshoot in the sticks and are not even allowed to go to the launch!!!
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Dear NUJ
I could care less about reps being rewarded for selling the ads which keep the papers afloat.
If you want to do something then how about the pay freeze I have just had for the second year running?
Thank you
NUJ member
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