THE editorships of four local newspapers owned by the publisher of The Scotsman have been earmarked for merging into two.
The papers – two in Fife and two to the north and north-east of Glasgow – have been identified by Johnston Press as a possible source of efficiency savings, pending consultation with the individuals involved and their representatives.
The plan is a merged editorship covering the Fife Free Press and the Glenrothes Gazette and similar for the Kirkintilloch Herald and the Milngavie Herald.
But it’s not down to the respective editors to battle it out for two fewer slots. The dozen or so editors in the Johnston Press (Falkirk) division of the group have been invited to apply for voluntary redundancy and it’s being tweted by NUJ Scotland that two already have.
The move echoes a similar exercise by Johnston Press when it was announced last month it was to merge the editorships of the Yorkshire Post and the Yorkshire Evening Post. Reported HoldtheFrontPage, while one of the two editors affected was appointed head of both titles, a new job was found within the group for the other.
