AddThis SmartLayers

Editor roles under threat as Newsquest cuts 15 jobs in North

Andrew HitchonA weekly editor who took up his post just over a year ago is among four facing redundancy in a Newsquest restructure which will mean 15 net job losses.

The regional publisher has announced plans to axe 25 roles across its Bradford, York and Darlington centres in the North of England, with ten new posts being created.

Editor roles in Bradford under threat include those of the Craven Herald’s Andrew Hitchon, left, who became its third editor in as many years last April, along with Richard Parker of the Keighley News and Catherine Turnbull Ilkley Gazette and Wharfedale Observer.

And in York, both the editor and deputy editor of the Ryedale Gazette & Herald are at risk of redundancy, along with four other editorial roles at the centre.

Earlier this week, it was revealed that the post of editor of the Darlington and Stockton Times is also disappearing following Malcolm Warne’s departure from the role after 23 years.

Malcolm will not be replaced and the paper will now be overseen by Northern Echo editor Peter Barron and his deputy Chris Lloyd.

The series of announcements will see a total of 25 roles across the region disappear – 11 in Darlington, six in York and eight in Bradford.

However a total of ten new roles are being created, including eight at a new regional production management desk in Bradford catering for all Newsquest titles in Yorkshire and the North-East.

In Darlington, nine weekly and daily production journalists and a graphic designer on the Northern Echo will be at risk of redundancy.

Two production editor jobs will be retained at the centre, on the Echo and Stockton & Darlington Times, while a new role of group weeklies content editor is being created.

York-based staff at risk of redundancy are the Gazette & Herald’s editor and deputy editor, the York Press web editor and part-time digital community publisher, a newsroom assistant and deputy sports editor.

A new social media editor post is being created in York while the roles of chief sub, night production editor, features editor and content editor will transfer to Bradford.

In Bradford, the editors of the Craven Herald, Keighley News, and Ilkley Gazette/Wharfedale Observer are at risk of redundancy along with a features content manager, a commercial features writer, one features writer, a deputy sports editor and a graphic artist.

Eight new jobs will be created in the new production unit at Bradford, while four production roles will transfer there from Darlington.  The proposed changes would come into effect from 1 June and a consultation period has now begun.

Regional managing director David Coates said in a company statement:  “Over the course of the coming weeks we propose to make some changes to the structure of our editorial operations in York, Bradford and Darlington which we believe will help us meet the increasing demands of our growing online audience while at the same time placing the business on a more sustainable footing.

“The changes will result in some job losses but new roles will also be created.

“By consolidating production management of our newspapers in one regional centre, and centralising both daily and weekly content management in each centre, we believe we will be better able to manage the volume of work involved in producing our titles.

“Under the proposals, York-based and Darlington-based production roles would transfer to the Bradford production management centre.

“The Company will be exploring ways of avoiding compulsory redundancies and minimising the number of employees affected. We propose that these changes come into effect from 1 June 2015.

“With immediate effect we are entering into a period of consultation with those who may be affected by this proposal.”

Chris Morley, NUJ Northern and Midlands organiser, said: “The words used by our members following today’s announcements are ‘shell shocked’ and ‘job massacre’.

“After so many casualties and waves of cutbacks at Newsquest centres, it does seem that the company is at war with its staff.

“There may be jobs for some at Bradford, but who would trust the company enough to move home with the real risk the post will disappear in the near future?”

Earlier this week we reported that nine editorial posts including two deputy group editor roles are set to be cut as part of a management shake-up in Newsquest’s North London division.

It follows a decision to centralise the operations of 18 Newsquest titles in North London, Essex, Herts and Bucks at the company’s Watford offices under a single group editor in Tim Jones.

22 comments

You can follow all replies to this entry through the comments feed.
  • April 29, 2015 at 4:23 pm
    Permalink

    ‘Massacre’ was the first word that sprang to my mind before I saw it used here by the union. I check HTFP every half-hour or so these days for precisely this reason and I’m beginning to wonder if there’ll be anyone left in local papers by the year’s end. To think somewhere else on this site the poor quality of young entrants to the profession is criticised. He’s lucky to get anyone at all and If I had children deciding on careers this is very last one I’d recommend. We’re all doomed, folks.

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(36)
  • April 29, 2015 at 6:00 pm
    Permalink

    All part of a rolling wretched programme in recent years to save money and think they can keep some quality. Money saved, circulations dropping and quality worse.

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(17)
  • April 30, 2015 at 12:22 am
    Permalink

    The editor of the Ilkley Gazette and Wharfedale Observer has only just been appointed, and I think it’s weeks rather than a year.

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(6)
  • April 30, 2015 at 8:23 am
    Permalink

    It’s as if Newsquest are in some sort of grotesque contest with JP to see who can treat their staff with the most contempt.

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(23)
  • April 30, 2015 at 9:24 am
    Permalink

    The silver lining is we have some eager, well attuned social media-savvy school leavers coming in from the other end, who’s breadth of knowledge of ‘buzzfeed’ will save the industry. Yes they were previously employed on a paper-round but this means, in managerial view, they are able to connect with the customer, sorry, user.

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(8)
  • April 30, 2015 at 9:34 am
    Permalink

    Whenever a manager pops up in a story about cuts and uses the term “growing online audience” can we please put in brackets; (net advertising income reduction, job cuts, reduction in valuable skills within the newsroom, increase in untrained teenagers to interact with audience, and basically less coverage of events unless you know someone with iPhone willing to send in photo’s without byline used). There should help us understand the context.

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(8)
  • April 30, 2015 at 9:45 am
    Permalink

    Jesus Christ, why not just drop an atom bomb? Would cause less damage…

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(6)
  • April 30, 2015 at 9:53 am
    Permalink

    I left the “industry” about two years ago fearing the worst for it and myself and hoping for the best for those left behind. The worst is still happening week by week. One horror story after another in the big companies, Newsquest, JP and TM.
    We would not care if it was the lazy, overpaid or useless being shipped out, but an awful lot of people who actually know what they are doing are being lost. Can all this culling really end in success and job stability. I hope so,for the sake of my friends scraping a living but fear not. Meanwhile, kids rule, OK?

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(10)
  • April 30, 2015 at 9:59 am
    Permalink

    Every morning I thank the great printer in the sky that I enjoyed many superb years in the newspaper industry, worked very hard, got out in the community, played hard and had a lot of laughs. I wish the same for those still around the industry in the century of the selfie. But news like this does not give anyone confidence because it is aimed at saving money and not improving quality and senior management know this, whatever bull they spout week by week.

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(18)
  • April 30, 2015 at 10:40 am
    Permalink

    longoutofit is correct that it’s the people with specific newspaper skills that appear to be bearing the brunt of the cuts in what’s left of the newspaper industry. That’s not to say executives, administrators, clerks, dogsbodies and the like are all evil people (they’re not) who deserve to be out of a job (they don’t), just that sometimes we need subbing help where I work and it’s not available from the social media community engagement manager, for example. I’m sure he does a dandy job – whatever it is – but the disproportionate ratio of proper newspaper folk with dedicated skills to those of a more generalist tendency is getting ever wider. And that isn’t good for any of us.

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(16)
  • April 30, 2015 at 10:55 am
    Permalink

    Yet more sad news while the relentless march to a digital future with miniscule revenue goes on. It was interesting to see Johnston Press values its staff photographers’ efforts so much that the front and back wraparound cover photo for its Annual Report featured a photo of the Tour de France … taken by the Press Association. Surely it could have used a photo taken by one of its own snappers? There must have been enough photos taken by JP snappers to choose from! I wonder if it paid PA for the privilege of using its photo on the front and back of its Annual Report? What a message to send to shareholders and staff!

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(9)
  • April 30, 2015 at 1:29 pm
    Permalink

    I am investigating a serious case of journocide and I would like to call evidence from senior managers at Newsquest, Trinity Mirror and JP.
    I believe the method of killing was suffocation by unedited user generated copy and free out of focus pictures.
    Denial of adequate levels of skilled staff is also believed to have contributed to the demise of many victims.
    A profile of the offenders shows they tend to have an unrealistic obsession with web sites making lots of money and sacking people.
    Would these people hand themselves in and save us all a lot of further anquish?

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(14)
  • April 30, 2015 at 3:04 pm
    Permalink

    And so it goes on…..the never-ending story of job losses, muddled (and damaging) revamps, bizarre forward (but not too far forward) planning, and the inexorable march of the bean-counters.
    RIP the British newspaper industry.

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(7)
  • April 30, 2015 at 4:12 pm
    Permalink

    Why don’t Newsquest just come clean and say that all their editors are history bar Peter Barron in the north and Ian Murray in the south Editing all their titles in England, while Kevin Ward covers Wales and in his spare time picks up all the Scottish titles?
    The “newbie” at the Brighton Argus might have something to say about it, but then maybe he knows something none of the others does????
    At least by declaring their hand, it would stop this drip, drip, drip feed of woe upon woe.
    They could even set a trend for openness and transparency to be followed by Trinity Mirror, JP, Archant and Local World… although somehow given their openness over ABC figures in many cases, I seriously doubt it.
    I understand from excellent sources the BBC have commissioned David Attenborough to do a three-part series on The World’s Disappearing Species – to include Editors, News Photographers and Newspaper Readers.
    Should be a thriller!

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(14)
  • April 30, 2015 at 7:44 pm
    Permalink

    Others have said it here, but what a stroke of fortune for Perry that those immediately below him are being lined up for the chop, including one who relocated to her job only weeks previously. Can’t do anything but consolidate his position. He has someone to be grateful to, whoever they are……

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(5)
  • May 1, 2015 at 8:14 am
    Permalink

    Talk about death by 1000 cuts. The great industry I was so proud to join 35 years ago has been bludgeoned and battered into a right bloody mess. Good luck to all those getting the bullet – it can only be a question of time for all of us no matter who we work for.

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(4)
  • May 1, 2015 at 9:19 am
    Permalink

    I think people need a reality check. Readers do not consume local news like they did 10 years ago. The regional press are trying to adapt at speed to the move to digital.

    The digital evolution has also opened up a plethora of other ways to advertise for local customers. Many of these are significantly cheaper than regional press. The advertiser has many more options, most of which provide transparent insight into the success of the advertising in terms of response (Regional Press has NEVER offered this).

    The regional press needs to redefine it’s purpose in local life. When they do this, they need to articulate this to their ex/current/future readers.

    The journalists/commercial people that embrace this model can be very successful.

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(4)
  • May 1, 2015 at 10:55 am
    Permalink

    I was chatting to an advertiser the other day. He said in the boom times newspapers ripped off advertisers with their high rates and became fat,
    lazy, and complacent but not any more. The industry is “adjusting” and how!!

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(1)
  • May 1, 2015 at 12:05 pm
    Permalink

    If anyone thinks Newsquest is culling staff for any other reason than they are big numbers on a balance sheet, think again. The desperate short-term desire to cut costs is all, and to hell with the future of its “products”. Of course, another industry might start looking seriously at long-term ways of actually generating money rather than becoming the business which ate itself. Surprised no one has mentioned the redundancies at the South Wales Argus this week.

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(5)
  • May 2, 2015 at 9:21 pm
    Permalink

    And the cull goes on at the South Wales Argus, with 4 more redundancies, including the news editor and Wales’ photographer of the year.

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(2)