THE managing director of the Herald group of newspapers – comprising The Herald, Sunday Herald and Evening Times – was yesterday reminded of his company’s commitment to high standards of editorial quality when it took ownership of the titles four years ago.
Tim Blott spent more of yesterday addressing staff ahead of a proposed budget cut of between two and three million pounds and a deadline of tomorrow for applications for voluntary redundancy.
But partly primed by questions provided by the National Union of Journalists, it was to prove a rigorous grilling that he received.
And one of the question referred to a commitment made to competition authorities – at the time of the newspapers’ sale from SMG to Gannett – to maintain editorial standards.
Anne Johnstone, a leader writer/columnist is reported to have talked “movingly” about how the paper, 30 years ago, was one that every young journalist wanted to work for and enjoyed working for.
“What do you see when you look at the paper in the morning, because I see a bloody miracle,” she asked, to much applause from her colleagues.
The MD was also said to be reluctant to provide details of voluntary redundancies, partly for fear of them being reported on this website.
