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Editors switch roles as new county-wide website launches

Two regional editors have taken on new roles as part of a restructure which has seen four newpaper companion websites merge into a single county-wide platform.

As reported by HTFP last month, Trinity Mirror was set to create a single county-wide website for Devon, under the Devon Live branding, in a restructure which would also see the North Devon Journal editor’s role disappear.

The site, which went live yesterday, replaces that of the Journal, as well as the Exeter Express & Echo, Torquay Herald Express and Mid Devon Gazette series.

Similar mergers have already taken place in Cornwall, Essex, Gloucestershire, Kent and Lincolnshire.

Devon Live

The launch of the new site means a change of roles for two of Trinity Mirror’s senior editors in the South West region.

Patrick Phelvin, who was previously editor of the Express & Echo and Mid Devon Gazette, will now become editor of Devon Live.

Meanwhile Herald Express editor Jim Parker has now taken on the role of print editor for the Express & Echo, the Journal and the Gazette series in addition to his present responsibilities.

The Plymouth Herald retains its own dedicated website, the only TM title in Devon and Cornwall to do so.

In a message to readers, Patrick said: “We’re lucky enough to have some outstanding journalists working for us across news, sport and entertainment.”We hope to build a loyal audience that will be with us for many years to come by reporting on the issues which matter to them.”

He told HTFP: “A lot of hard work and considered thought has gone into the planning for Devon Live, and we’ve had a very good first day – early indications on audience numbers are very encouraging.”

2 comments

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  • February 28, 2017 at 1:23 pm
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    Devon is very parochial. The good burghers of Braunton don’t give a hoot about Tipton St John and most of Maidencombe’s residents don’t even know where Bratton Fleming is. Now Devon Live bundles the entire county together. Hmmmmmmm.
    At least the Janners in Guz still have (just) a daily paper – a political thing originally I was lead to believe, as the city is served by three MP’s.
    Oh, must dash now as I need to count up my unique users on the old t’internet – they just bring conga rolling in y’know. 😉

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  • March 14, 2017 at 6:07 pm
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    Sadly, the Exeter Express & Echo is reverting to once-per-week publication of the Thursday print edition, following a short-lived (since 2015), nice-while-it-lasted revival of a Monday issue. For decades, the E & E had previously appeared six days per week.

    The paper claims a revamped bumper Thursday format will sate readers’ expressed demand for, among other things, more news, but this seems not to add up: if readers wanted more, or more frequent, news in print, or even the same total weekly quantity, why was the sales gap between Thursday and Monday issues so vast, especially as the Monday paper cost only a paltry 50p?

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