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Journalist back in new magazine role days after losing job in cutbacks

MerrellA regional press journalist who left his job lst week amid newsroom cutbacks has bounced back after landing a new role with a business magazine and PR agency.

Moose Marketing & PR has appointed Andrew Merrell, pictured, to work on its business magazine and website Punchline Gloucester.

Earlier this month Trinity Mirror confirmed Andrew had left its Gloucestershire Live news operation, along with digital editor Jenny Eastwood, as part of a restructure which could see up to 49 journalism roles cut across England.

Andrew had spent 18 years working as a journalist in Gloucestershire, and was most recently chief business reporter at Gloucestershire Live and dailies-turned weeklies The Citizen, in Gloucester, and the Gloucestershire Echo.

Of his new role, he said: “I’ve been writing about business in the county for a long time now and for me these are the success stories that we need to continue to shout about to make people realise just what a great place Gloucestershire is to work and live.

“Moose Marketing & PR and its Punchline magazine and website are built for doing that and judging by the figures for all parts of the business it has really tapped into something.”

Mark Owen, Moose managing director and founder, said: “It is great to have Andrew on board. We are growing fast and it is important we take on the right people to help us continue to achieve that and to help us deliver for our clients.

“We now have two former business editors on our books, with [ex-Citizen and Echo business editor] Bev Hawes already a well-established part of the team.

“We want to send out a clear message that when it comes to supporting businesses in the county – and beyond – and telling their stories – we are serious about what we do and investing in good journalism.”

Andrew and Jenny both left Trinity Mirror as part of theroll-out of its ‘Live’ online brand across its newspaper centres in the Midlands and parts of the South West.  Jenny has now launched her own media consultancy.

6 comments

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  • March 26, 2018 at 8:27 am
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    Wishing Andrew all the very best on his new role, proving yet again there are jobs and a much better life outside the regional press, the big worry for those still hanging on in there believing their future is safe is by the time their time comes the jobs will be already taken by those who’ve gone before them.

    Time to update your cvs and get proactive guys,the independent local news and publishing sector is the place to be.

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  • March 26, 2018 at 10:45 am
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    “believing their future is safe is by the time their time comes the jobs will be already taken by those who’ve gone before them”

    Are we going to be caught up in a surreal Catch-22 situation down the line that when all the journos have taken all the PR jobs and there’re no journos (or ‘papers) left, what then happens to all these multitudes of PR -wallahs who now have nobody to sen their spiel to?

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  • March 26, 2018 at 12:06 pm
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    Good luck Andrew.
    You worked hard for the Citizen and Echo to maintain comprehensive business coverage, supporting many commercial initiatives and supplements, too.
    If they no longer appreciate dedication and contact-building, then once again it’s to the detriment of Trinity Mirror’s publications which will be turning their backs on another facet of comprehensive local news coverage in its race to dumb down to the lowest common clickbait denominators.

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  • March 26, 2018 at 12:16 pm
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    Think you’ve missed the point ToggyMc, “….the independent local news and publishing sector is the place to be”
    I know many superb journalists, ad sales people and freelance togs who were no longer deemed of value to the dinosaur publishers who are making good livings with new, independent local newspaper and magazine publishers doing what they’re good at; community reportage,with a better quality of life post regionals too.
    The jobs and the opportunities to flourish are there for those who want them with employers who are doing all the things the others no longer do

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  • March 26, 2018 at 1:21 pm
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    @toggyMcTogface
    There’ll always be work for the best people and an outlet for their work, however the ones who are ‘less talented’ will always cling to the wreckage doing as they’re told, saying ‘yes’ a lot and looking the other way as better colleagues are moved on for fear of being next on the list ( give it time, they will be ) just look around you to see who’s left and who’s running things and you’ll see my point,and do you honestly think those who are wielding the axe, not just at TM although they and the JP lot do seem to be well practiced in it, give a toss about the future well being of those they’ve selected to go?
    No they’re just looking to save money and thus earn themselves a nice bonus as their incentive scheme these days is cost savings and a reduction in FTEs which drives mediocrity and a that’ll do mentality , when once it was sensible profit and achieving revenue which resulted in quality and sustainable business,now it’s all about damage limitation and managing decline.
    My best wishes to Andrew and the many many others whose lives have been positively affected now they’ve no longer in the self preservation society that regional publishing has become.

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  • March 26, 2018 at 3:10 pm
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    @Prospectus & @Employee X
    ‘Twas written tongue-in-cheek chaps.
    I too am now happily ensoncsed with independent publications – having been though what is now the Trinity mangle (Northcliffe as was) of VR and out the other side! 😉

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