The Newsquest-owned Brighton Argus has cut four more jobs, including those of deputy editor and women’s editor.
Frank le Duc, deputy editor, was made redundant on New Year’s Eve.
He first worked at the Argus, his home-town paper, from 1988 to 1991, and later worked for The Times for 12 years, before rejoining the Argus in September 2006.
No replacement has been appointed, and when asked who now deputises for the editor, Michael Beard, a source told Press Gazette: ‘That’s an extremely good question.”
Women’s editor Ruth Addicott was also made redundant. She will not be replaced, however the women’s section is being retained meaning it is going to make use of more nationally supplied PA agency copy.
A source said: ‘Ruth was absolutely first class, brilliant at getting local people to tell their stories. Now there’s a reliance on agency copy with no local angle.
‘Both Frank and Ruth were extremely hard-working and dedicated, and went way beyond the call of duty.”
As well as the two compulsory redundancies, two staff left voluntarily: Jonathan Rees, a long-serving news sub editor, and Alan Jones, a photographer.
Tim Norman, the Argus father of the chapel, told Press Gazette: ‘It’s extremely sad because they were all talented and hard-working journalists.
‘Ruth and Frank were as dedicated servants of the Argus as you could hope for. These people had the skills to develop both the paper both online and in print yet we are losing them.”
In July last year, the Argus announced plans to cut 10 jobs, bringing the editorial team from 79 to 69.
It also merged its two editions – which covered Brighton, and wider Sussex – and closed Sports Argus, the weekly paid-for title.
In May, the Argus outsourced most of its pre-press work and advertising design to India, which led to around 20 job losses.
Martyn Willis, Newsquest Sussex’s managing director, was unavailable for comment this morning.
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