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September 16, 2015

Newsquest plans to cut photographers, subs and editors at newly-acquired Berkshire titles

By William Turvill

Two editing positions, five photographers and two sub-editors have been put at risk of redundancy at Newsquest in Berkshire.

The editor of the Reading Chronicle has resigned from her position four months after the title was taken over by Newsquest. The title, along with seven others in Berkshire, was previously owned by Romanes Media Group.

Newsquest has proposed that the editor positions on the Chronicle, Slough Observer and Bracknell News be replaced by one editor-in-chief.

This editor-in-chief would, under the plans, report to Ian Murray, who as well as editing the Southern Daily Echo is group editor across Newsquest Berkshire and Hampshire.

Staff have also been informed of a proposal to replace five full-time photographers in Berkshire with one chief photographer/picture editor.

Newsquest has also proposed that after its Knowledge system, which enabales remote editing, is installed in the area, two sub-editor positions are made redundant. A chief sub-editor in the area will remain.

Lesley Potter has edited the Chronicle since the summer of 2014 when her predecessor resigned after the newspaper linked the Hillsborough disaster with hooliganism.

The Chronicle recorded an average weekly circulation of 5,528 in 2014, a figure that included just over 1,000 free copies, according to ABC.

At the end of last year, Trinity Mirror closed the print edition of the Chronicle's rival, the Reading Post, which recorded an average circulation in 2013 of 12,389 – more than half of which were free – according to ABC.

Following this closure, the Reading Chronicle's front page (pictured) said: "We've got the town covered."

The editors of the Slough Observer and Bracknell News are Tim Cole and Alan Manicom.

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