A cartoonist who has provided drawings for a regional daily for 37 years has left the paper.
Tony Hall had previously contributed two cartoons a week to the Eastern Daily Press but his final one appeared on Saturday.
The freelance contributor, pictured left, claims he was told “very politely” to leave due to issues surrounding finances.
Speaking to BBC Radio Norfolk on Thursday, he said he would be “sad” to stop drawing for the paper.
Said Tony: “I approached the EDP about 37 years ago and they didn’t have a cartoonist, so it’s been my initiative and my baby ever since.
“The cartoon is a unique feature in the paper anyway, and in fact it’s probably the last of anything that’s been done by a human hand. I still use a dip pen and ink, the next best thing to a quill.”
When asked about his departure, Tony continued: “Basically I was sort of just asked very politely to leave about a week and a half ago, and that was it really.
“It’s been explained to me that it’s all to do with finances and budgets, but from my point of view I have my own views on these things.”
EDP editor Nigel Pickover said: “Tony Hall has been our accomplished cartoonist over most of four decades and has been known and enjoyed by our newspaper and its readers.
“We’re enormously grateful for his work during that time and have wished Tony all the very best for the future.”
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This is a shame: Tony was part of the EDP’s DNA and helped give it character. Certainly a rare asset in regional news.
However, against the backdrop of the photographer cull and reporting teams which are stripped to the bone, it is the hardest of all the cuts to get excited about.
My only observation would be, with three editors overseeing two daily papers selling a little over 45,000, surely there are bigger savings which could be made? There was a time when one person could run a newspaper with sales in six figures.
Surely it would make sense to cut from the top, rather than the bottom. But then I am probably just a clueless armchair warrior.
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I may also add that they are not actually funny, and are probably still rooted in the mores and attitudes of 37 years ago.
He could continue to draw for the paper of course, and use his association with the EDP to leverage other work …
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Very sad to see this happen.
Cartoons were/are an often under-estimated part of a newspaper’s attraction to readers.
I wish Tony all the best- he has a legacy to be proud of.
And I’m sure he’ll have gained a reputation locally over the years that will mean he’ll have no difficulty attracting new clients.
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It’s a great shame and a sign of how desperate things must have become. Tony is an astute cartoonist whose work has often said more than a thousand words.
However still they continue to throw money into a bottomless pit of a TV station very few people want and invent well-paid jobs for the in-crowd.
This is mere penny pinching.
Now watch for them to put the cover price of the EDP up again.
The emperor is fiddling while Rome burns…
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Bagpuss – that’s an interesting concept, along the lines of photographers being happy to work for free in exchange for a credit and increased profile. It could revolutionise the media industry.
Indeed the EDP has already adopted a similar approach to columnists which has produced sparkling results.
What other roles would you suggest could be done for no pay? Reporting? Subbing? The cleaner? Surely not the editors as well?
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And still the awful Mustard TV lurches on.
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Yet another example of Archants penny pinching policy of cutting back on quality to shave a few pounds off the outgoings, with content under question there are bigger savings to be made than by the desperadoes cutting out a Tony’s cartoons, a popular part of the EDP but another where what the reader wants is of no importance, soon there’ll be nothing of any reader appeal or value left
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We’ll if you’re in the audience business, having a media profile helps. Last time I checked, the Huffington Post didn’t lack contributors, because contributing adds status and value.
If freelance photographers can show how easily they can obtain credited bylines, they’ll get PR jobs and build a business that way. Not ideal, but Archant have decided pictures ain’t worth paying staff for. Not what I’d choose but…
Subs, cleaners and, dare I say it, editors, do not require a media profile per se to leverage their marketable activities as they are task based. So yep, if you want them, pay them.
And which of the paid for columnists did you feel provided joy to readers and was worth every penny!
Certainly when there was money to burn, by all means throw it at contributors. When there isn’t, see if there is a value proposition for both…
And if Tony can find plenty of clients for his drawings – Chinese chopsticks and flied lice puns and all – then you’re right, the EDP at -9% YoY can offer him nothing.
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” bagpuss”
The days of anyone ” levering work via association with the EDP” are long gone, as you’ll find out if you mention the paper to any one in media around the county, nowadays it’s more of a hindrance not a benefit. And ” Norfolk n good” is spot on the top heavy editorial set up is ripe for cost savings and cutbacks from the top, too many costs associated with too many editors producing too little sales or revenues,I agree, start there before counting pennies elsewhere
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Dear “Bagpuss”
One of the many reasons the EDP is indeed down yet another shocking 9% is due to fewer people buying it due to poor ‘ content’ ; )
With a reduction in value comes a reduction in purchasers,with a reduction in purchasers comes a reduction in advertisers who no longer see the DP as being of value in reaching a Norfolk audience,surely you can comprehend this
Chopping out another part of the paper readers seemed to enjoy further hastens the decline of this once popular daily ( I have a long memory)
Oh and believe me “Association with the DP ” will hinder rather than aid future work.
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Seems Bagpuss has ‘insider knowledge’ shall we say which is interesting…
Just a shame he feels the need to belittle the columnists who were quietly dumped to save a few quid for the company and who he clearly feels offered nothing to the paper ( oh the irony in terms of quality content there these days )
Interestingly some are now writing for the many decent independent competitors to Archant, also no surprise no one speaks well of the company any more
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Bagpuss – perhaps your most revealing comment is that, on the one hand, you don’t find the cartoons funny but, on the other, Tony should continue contributing them as long as they’re free.
Nothing could sum up Archant’s attitude better: we’ll take content, any content, as long as we don’t have to pay.
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Its true Tony Hall cartoons don’t tickle my fancy, but clearly those in the know find it money well spent. Fair enough!
Our business model is to persuade people to spend lots of money simply to insert their brand into the paper. Tony enjoys a substantial platform which on our business model basis should provide a value proposition to negotiate over.
Can’t see the issue really, and when Norfolk’N’Good says it could “revolutionise the media industry”, may I say I think that’s what’s already happened (eg Facebook and LinkedIn, but plenty of others).
However, it does indicate that Q4 must be looking grim.
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With content even more cheap n cheerful than it’s ever been, cutting out one of the ( admittedly small) reasons people bought the paper smacks of severe trouble in the old financial department and doesn’t bode well for the company’s future.
Sales people call these USPs, things that give the edge or add value to a product, with little of value left in the EDP to encourage folk to part with their hard earned money by cranking up the cover price twice this year alone for an inferior product,now dropping a light established part of the paper for financial reasons will only endure the dreadful sales decline continues.
Makes me wonder if this is the last frantic bailings out of a rapidly sinking ship when this kind of ‘paper clip’ counting measure is taken.
Good luck to those left on the EDP I’d say more cost savings are around the next corner.
Desperate times
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Interesting to read Bagpuss’s points from within the business management level and how much contempt he holds ex contributors and readers in.
and if bagpuss believe the EDP. / EN offer ” a substantial platform” I suggest he looks at the copy sales figures, household penetration stats and ad revenues and come out of the building into the city and county and talk to real people and business owners and you’ll quickly realise the days of the dailies delivering a credible audience are well in the past.
Content is poor already and this will only turn more people away, people the papers can’t afford to lose
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