A weekly editor has left his role after four years to take up a temporary job as a council PR manager.
Ian Dipple started on the Redditch Standard as a trainee in 2003 and became editor in 2011.
The 32-year-old left the Bullivant Media-owned title on Friday to take up a temporary position as communications manager at Wychavon District Council.
His successor in Reddtich is Ross Crawford-Paul, who has worked in the industry for more than 30 years including stints at the Solihull News, Sutton Coldfield News and Birmingham Post.
Ian, above, said it was the toughest decision he has ever had to make, but felt it was the right time to move on and face new challenges.
He added it would also mean he gets to spend more time with his wife Liz and his seven-month-old son Alex.
“I’m sad to be leaving, this job has given me some wonderful experiences from interviewing Prime Ministers to campaigning on behalf of our readers and I’ve met some brilliant people,” he said.
“It has been a tough four years for the newspaper industry as a whole and I’m proud of how despite the pressures we’ve managed to improve the quality of the product we have produced and sustained that consistently week after week.
“I’ve also been incredibly lucky with the amazing team of people I have worked with and also those in the community.
“Redditch does not realise how fortunate it is to have the array of people out there doing what they do, quietly and without asking for any recognition.”
Ian said he was most proud of the paper’s campaign to raise £40,000 to help Harry Mitchel go to America for an operation to help him walk and his work on the Save the Alex hospital campaign.
He said: “It’s an uncertain time for our hospital but recent events have just reaffirmed my view that we were absolutely right to fight in June 2012 the way we did and must continue to do all we can to protect our services.”
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Seriously, has anyone thought to tot up how many people now make up the pool of ‘ex editors’ over the last four or five years?
It must have filled a small stadium by now.
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Ian will regret this retrograde move to secure, well-paid employment where his bosses will doubtless recognise and possibly reward his outstanding work – oh yes indeed. You don’t come back from this one, old chum, and never darken our doors… hold on, what’s this? The assistant deputy junior accountant, an essential cog in our office machine, is coming my way with an envelope… why, it’s a P four-and-a-half from HMRC, a tax rebate methinks. I’ll get back to you later.
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Good luck to him. Unfortunately, the mention of a temporary PR role says to me he gets more certainty for his future there than with his job as the top of a weekly.
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I can understand him ‘jumping ship.’ I walked the metaphorical plank into the world of PR after being forced to become both a reporter and sub-editor on top of video producer for nothing more than a change in job title. Did I also mention, the low pay, long hours and bullying?
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The best job in the world is sadly now one of the worst. That is why guys like this quit, though they rarely say so. Those who cannot get out await the next extra task for no extra pay, or even thanks
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In Ross Crawford they are getting a very good replacement – good luck to him.
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