Dalton: ‘the Scottish Sun is a newspaper that is expanding’
Major investment in staff and a new printing press will help the Scottish Sun overtake the Daily Record in circulation, according to its editor.
Rob Dalton took over the News International paper in May after Bruce Waddell was headhunted by Trinity Mirror to edit the Record. His claimed investment contrasts with recent costcutting at the Record and sister paper the Sunday Mail where 15 journalists have been offered redundancy.
Sales of the Scottish Sun currently total 370,000 compared with the Daily Record’s sales in Scotland of 466,000.
Waddell has already persuaded Scottish Sun chief sub-editor Ewan Watt to follow him to the other side and Dalton is keen to prevent further defections.
In the Scottish Sun sports department Steve Wolstencroft has been promoted to assistant editor (sport) and Andy Swinburne to sports editor. Dalton said the move was “in recognition of the pivotal roles they play in the whole newspaper”.
He said that a new printing press in Carlisle would go into operation in October and enable the Sun to improve its Friday motors supplement, allowing it to go up in size and have more colour. Overseeing this section will be Phil Lanning who has been promoted to motors editor.
Dalton said: “It’s currently constrained by a lack of colour and can’t go any bigger – but we’ve got a lot of advertisers who are desperate to get in. “With the new press, motors is going to become a major Friday supplement – and it’s absolutely vital that we have someone to run it full time.”
Garry Ollason has been promoted to deputy art editor, charged with improving page design using new technology and software. Joining him on the art desk is designer Gary Simpson, who has been poached from the Record.
Gerry Duffy has also been taken on as an additional reporter.
“We are a paper that’s expanding,” said Dalton. “These are extra jobs we are talking about. London is being tremendously supportive and there is a lot of investment in the product.”
Two weeks ago Press Gazette described Ewan Watt as a former number two on the Scottish Sun. This was incorrect. Paul McLaren was and is deputy editor and number two on the title.
By Dominic Ponsford
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