View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. News
May 25, 2012

Shropshire Star cuts editions from five to two

By Andrew Pugh

The Shropshire Star is merging Shrewsbury, South and Border into a single county edition, in a move expected to result in one compulsory reduncancy.

It means the daily title will now publish two editions instead of five, with the enlarged county edition going to print at 9.30am and the last edition, serving Shropshire’s largest town Telford, going to press at 3pm (one of the latest evening paper deadlines in the UK).

A consultation period over several other editorial redundancies runs until the end of June, and the edition change is expected to result in one compulsory redundancy from the paper’s 85 editorial staff.

Editor Keith Harrison said: ‘Seen in the wider context of the regional press, these changes reflect a long-term commitment to same-day publishing, on which the MNA has built its success.

‘Recent technical issues at the Ketley print centre have meant we have been producing two editions per day, instead of our normal five, for the past month or so.

‘This period has served as a natural trial for the change, without us seeing a related drop in sales.

‘Pagination will increase to provide a greater spread of local news and our Last edition deadline will still be the latest in the country.”

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

Publisher Midlands News Association added that as part of the edition change ‘the distribution network will be reviewed, which may lead to further efficiencies being made”.

Press Gazette understands the NUJ Shropshire Star chapel could consider taking industrial action over the compulsory redundancy.

The most recent ABC figures for the paper show circulation was down 11.8 per cent in the last six months of 2011 to 51,240.

Topics in this article :

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network