THE trio of newspaper titles that make up The Scotsman Publications Ltd are to merge their editorial desks – to collectively become a truly ‘seven-days-a-week’ operation.
It is understood that between 35 and 45 editorial posts at The Scotsman, Scotland on Sunday and the Edinburgh Evening News – from a staff complement, including ‘casuals’, of 171 – are at risk of redundancy, with applications being sought for voluntary redundancy.
It is being widely reported that each of the titles will continue to retain their current ‘identities’.
The merging of desks will mean, for instance, there being a group news desk, with a group news editor being supported by news editors each responsible for their own title.
The move follows a similar exercise undertaken by publishers, Johnston Press, at its Yorkshire division.
Expected efficiency savings will see, for instance, one reporter representing all three titles attend a Press conference.
The editor of The Scotsman and sister title, Scotland on Sunday, Ian Stewart, now becomes editorial director, while the editor of the Edinburgh Evening News, Frank O’Donnell, becomes managing editor.
The new system is expected to become fully operational by March.
Says a statement from Johnston Press: “[The decision to merge editorial desks] follows a detailed review of how to create one editorial team to best serve our communities whilst maintaining the identity of each title.
“The combined teams will have a clear focus on putting digital at the heart of the newsroom to ensure the three titles continue to meet the changing needs of our audience.”
Read a report by The Guardian’s Mark Sweney, about the plans – here.
And read the report about the move on the website, holdthefrontpage.co.uk – here.
And another, in The Herald – here.
PS News of the merging was tweeted yesterday afternoon, on the allmediascotland.com twitter feed, allmedianews.
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RICHARD Marsham, the group managing partner at Edinburgh-based creative outfit, The Leith Agency, has been named at No.96 in a 100-strong list of the ‘most influential people in UK advertising’ – produced by The Drum marketing and media magazine.
Elsewhere, Anglo-Scot, Rob Morrice, has been placed at No.30. Morrice is chief executive (Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia) at Stein IAS.
Read The Drum’s ‘Adverarti’ list, here.
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SAYS the standfirst to an article on the MediaTel.co.uk website: “After the publication of the latest UK adspend forecasts this week, Suzy Young, data and journals director, Warc, examines the health of regional newsbrands.”
Read her piece, here. It is headed, ‘Regional newsbrands: on the cusp of growth?’.
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BEGINS a media release posted on allmediascotland.com: “PR and digital marketing agency, The BIG Partnership, has unveiled a luxury e-commerce website for the UK’s largest specialist whisky retailer, The Whisky Shop.”
Read more, here.
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PAGE 12 of today’s Scotsman carries a selection of photographs from a competition run by the outdoor pursuits magazine, Trail.
And the winner of the 2014 UK Mountain Photo of the Year award is Ross Campbell, who is, says the paper, a 27 year-old mechanical engineering student at the University of Glasgow.
His winning picture was of the Highlands peak of Ben Lui.
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IT was yesterday day two of a court case involving the husband of the radio DJ, Suzie McGuire, who denies assault and breaches of the peace charges… as reported, widely, including here (Daily Record) and here (STV).
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BEGINS an announcement issued by the National Youth Film Academy: [We] will be coming to Scotland in January as part of a programme of UK-wide auditions and interviews to find the next generation of talented actors, screenwriters, directors and film crew.
“The NYFA provides the opportunity to train with respected industry professionals and meet with like-minded individuals to collaborate and learn.”
For details, click here. Also, read more, here.
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YESTERDAY, allmediascotland.com noted – here – the interim management statement issued by the publisher of The Scotsman and several Scots local newspapers, Johnston Press.
Among the reports of the statement, The Herald’s Mark Williamson begins today: “Publishing group, Johnston Press, has said the pace of decline in its total revenues slowed in the third quarter but confirmed more job losses were in prospect at the company.”
Read more, here.
The Scotsman’s coverage, meanwhile (on page 35 of today’s edition of the paper), begins: “Media group, Johnston Press, is seeing growth in most of its markets and fast-growing digital revenues will help the company improve further in the new year.”
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