Regional publisher Johnston Press has created a ten-person editorial board made up of news chiefs from across its regions in a bid to encourage best practice across the business.
The company has today named seven new editorial directors, each representing one of JP’s regional business units.
They will be joined on the board by Jeremy Clifford, editor of The Star, Sheffield, who will chair the new body, and Ian Stewart, editor of The Scotsman, who will deputy chairman.
A further editorial director for Yorkshire will be named once a new editor of the Yorkshire Post has been appointed in succession to Peter Charlton,
The seven new editorial directors are as follows:
South – Gary Shipton, editor-in-chief, Sussex Newspapers North
Midlands – Mark Edwards, editorial director, East Midlands Newspapers
North Midlands & South Yorkshire – James Mitchinson, group editor, Wilfred Edmonds
North West – Gillian Gray, group editor, Preston
North East – Joy Yates, editor of Hartlepool Mail and Shields Gazette
Scotland – Colin Hume, group editor, Falkirk Herald
Ireland – Brian Keyes, editor, Kilkenny People
In his role as chairman, Jeremy will now report directly to JP chief executive Ashley Highfield.
Said Ashley: “The key aims of the board will be to provide a forum with the power and influence to enable innovation, great ideas, strategic initiatives, standardisation and the adoption of good or best practice and to develop journalistic staff at all levels, identify rising stars and ensure that our journalists have the tools they need across all of our newspapers.
“It will also ensure that great journalism is always at the heart of our business as we transform local media and build capability for its exciting future. Finally, the board will have the responsibility of ensuring that editorial strategy and policies are adhered to – a necessary role in a post-Leveson world.”
Jeremy added: “The editorial board is an important and innovative way of ensuring we can develop good and best practice across the whole of Johnston Press.
“I am delighted to be given the first opportunity with other board members to help steer the strategy and develop publishing approaches that enable us to deliver great content for our print and online audiences.”
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I’d be interested to know what pay rises these editors have received – especially in light of the pay freezes, referred to as deferrals by management, which have been in place since summer 2011 for the rest of us.
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My guess, Anon, is no rise at all. It’s not the JP way. People on the previous board received nothing extra, so no reason to think this will be any different.
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Well done Jeremy!! A good move by JP and a fantastic opportunity for a great editor.
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All right for those on the new board but for the rest who aren’t it will REALLY get up their nose that yet another level of bureaucracy has been introduced presumably with the authority to push other editors around and tell them were they’re all going wrong.
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As usual with JP… ‘Too many chiefs, not enough Indians’
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If you play the JP game and keep your nose clean and subscibe to digital first, you too can join the exciting JP editorial board.
True what the others have said, as I look around a deserted newsroom that used to be fully staffed.
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Good move. Jeremy is a proper newsman. And properly fussy too.
I just hope these people are listened to.
Editorial voices have been drowned out by accountants in recent years. But the people who know the business best and can innovate most are editors. Those that are left anyway
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@Fresh Coriander – not what I heard.
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Is there anyone with ‘power and influence’ noticing the standard of in-house advertising these days. A promotion to win a mini in the Yorkshire Evening Post wasn’t even branded. Hope the new board takes a daily look at the products.
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With due respect ‘Showbeastie’ there are lots of Indians.
They’re the ones setting all the adverts remember…
In India.
Life is local indeed….
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@anon
At least one of these editors is on half what their predecessor got, who was unceremoniously turfed out last Easter.
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