To lose one editor of an evening title is unfortunate.
To lose
two, just a few miles apart within the space of a few days, begins to
look, perhaps not careless, but certainly highly significant.
The
departures of David Gledhill from The Bath Chronicle and Mike Lowe from
the Bristol Evening Post will send shock waves through the industry.
They
are experienced, respected operators doing good jobs in tough markets.
And they were on Northcliffe titles, where stability and editorial
investment are part of the accepted wisdom.
But both were being
asked to implement editorial reorganisations they could not accept. The
knives that had already sliced into headcounts were being sharpened
some more. The giddy returns being demanded in the sector, it is
feared, are starting to take their toll. With regional groups including
DMGT and Johnston warning of uncertain times ahead for newspaper
advertising, there are bound to be other editors settling slightly less
comfortably in their seats this morning.
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