More Johnston Press photographers are set to lose their jobs as the company’s ongoing content review is extended to another region.
HTFP revealed last week that the whole of the company’s Midlands region will be left without any staff photographers following a review of how photographic content is generated.
Now it has emerged that the North-West is set to be the latest area subject to the review, although in this case the region is expected to keep some of its staff photographers.
The publisher has confirmed that discussions are ongoing in its North-West publishing unit, which includes the Lancashire Evening Post, Wigan Evening Post, Blackpool Gazette and Morecambe Visitor.
Last week HTFP reported that all photographers in JP’s Midlands publishing region will soon be leaving the company, with the majority taking voluntary redundancy packages, although a small number of compulsory redundancies are expected.
Johnston Press said it was unable to comment further about the proposed changes in the North-West as discussions with affected staff are still ongoing.
However, a source told HTFP that a number of photographers are set to leave the company and around six are expected to remain to cover the whole North-West region under a pool arrangement.
For example, it is understood that of three photographers currently covering the East Lancashire area, which includes the Burnley Express, only one is expected to keep their job.
A spokeswoman for Johnston Press said: “Discussions are still ongoing in the North West publishing unit and as such we’re unable to comment.”
The publisher was criticised by the National Union of Journalists after we reported that JP’s Midlands unit would be left without staff photographers, which it described as a “dangerous” decision.
Johnston Press photographers in Scotland have also been hit by changes and the union said the publisher would no longer have staff photographers there but would instead rely on freelance agreements with some of those whose roles were axed.
The company is also expected to make increasing use of submitted pictures from readers and reporters taking photos on their phones.
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Remaining JP staff must all know what is coming to them at some point in time, unless they are in sales. The harder it becomes for reps to sell into poorer products, the more sales staff get recruited. Everyone else must be waiting to see how attractive the next round of VR will be and who can blame them? Why jump with nothing when you could be pushed with a payout?
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Sad. Very sad.
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No photographers means rubbish photographs. Where is the merit in publishing pathetic images taken on somebody’s phone? You can look at that on facebook. The only thing we can do better than anyone else locally is that we can take better photographs and we can write better copy. If you diminish these two things, we have nothing. It really does not make any sense. I may not be a ‘media bigwig’ (and we all know they know so much more than we do) but this is surely not right.
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@Sub Mariner. “we can write better copy”. Are you sure? Or was your comment meant ironically?
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The British regional press seems intent on persuading an ever dwindling and sceptical audience that their products are not worth buying.
Why on earth should anyone use their hard-earned cash to pay to look at photographs taken on a mobile telephone?
I fear for the future for the regional press. It seems a choice of death by a thousand cuts or a slow withering on the vine of audience apathy.
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JP actually must think if they print readers photos, they’ll buy their papers, and in small numbers they will. That novelty won’t last long, and in the meantime all quality and credibility has gone. Well and truly on a race to the bottom.
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It’s all OK you will still end up with coverage, as good as this.
Scroll down to the gallery, Manchester Evening news should be absolutely ashamed of themselves…But I guess not as it was deemed good enough by the “photographer” to send in and the editors to publish…
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/royal-visit-open-new-co-op-6303911
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That picture scroll is truly shocking and shows just what the number crunchers have done to our industry. One of the saddest things I have ever seen in a long list of distressing posts on here.
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A shabby, cheapskate move which shows once again how the corporate publishers are doing their bit to propel Britain into being another Third World country.
What saddens me is that nobody outside the regional press seems to care about the erosion of democracy with the demise of weekly and daily newspapers.
I think the public will wake up…when it’s too late!
Reminds me of the line the poet John Betjeman wrote following the sudden death of a friend:
“It’s strange that those we miss the most are those we take for granted.”
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I’m not quite sure what the fuss is all about here. The division’s photographers knew this was coming last year, and were given ample opportunity to leave peacefully, with their dignity intact.
The game’s up lads – time to move on. Let’s hope the division’s remaining subs (or content managers – whatever) act more sensibly in the coming months when Ashley’s gaze falls upon them again.
It’s not all bad news though – JP’s share price is rising fast – 24p and rising. Get in!
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on the MEN thing – there is a picture gallery from photographers too, and easy to find as well. But hey, why let the facts….
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If an MEN staffer had submitted those photos then someone would be “having a word” with the picture desk. One or two are ok, but the rest are just garbage.
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How did 3/4 of the pictures even get near a gallery. Did anyone actually look at them beforehand ?
MEN, hang your heads in shame… JP you better take a long hard look at your future.
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The Manchester Evening News got rid of their Picture Desk and more than half of their photographers, that gallery was the result…
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Interesting comment on the role of press photographers, from the BPPA – http://thebppa.wordpress.com/2014/02/02/who-has-whats-required/
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Thanks, Disgruntled Toggy – that explains a lot.
The future is orange, with a tinge of yellow, over-exposed, out of focus and poorly cropped.
You lucky, lucky readers…
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@ Known To British Transport Police I see what you’re saying but, generally, even in these churnalism-blighted days, the general standard of story writing is still far and away superior to the untrained’s scribblings on facebook. I don’t mean this in a snooty, elitist way, just factually. We have been trained, after all, so we should be. No disrespect to anyone
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JP shareholder – your remarks single you out as a selfish, odious toad.
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Well said delboy.
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£100 a day including mileage, supply your own equipment, car and PL insurance. No holiday or sick pay. Work when they offer it, you won’t dare turn a shift down incase they drop you. Plus there will be some out there that would do it for free for the experience. Depressing.
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What a brilliant business model! Let’s ask our customers (readers) to give us the raw material for free, we’ll sell it back to them disguised as a quality product ….. ssshhhh don’t tell, it might catch on!
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Who would have ever thought it would come to this nationally? The better times will never return and the decline will continue. There once was a joke about reporters being trained to make lightning sketches while on jobs so that photogs would be less needed. That time may be looming……..
I can also remember disciplinary action being taken against reporters who in haste took pix because a photog had not yet turned up and the scene opportunity was about to be lost. Fire scenes, fights, street disorder, accident wreckage – even cheque presentations!
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….almost 30p today. The good times are back. Once the production staff get their cards I reckon 50p by Easter is realistic
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The days of quality local and regional journalism has gone. Even with the best will in the world, one person cannot do the job of five or more colleagues. Hundreds of years worth of knowledge, skill and experience have been thrown away, both by Newsquest and Johnston Press.
At JP, Big boy Ashley H doesn’t care because he is not interested in the printed word; all he knows about is digital. He cannot grasp that it is the knowledge and skill of professional journalists and photographers providing quality content that will lift his sites to bring in larger readerships, and, ultimately, more revenue.
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