View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. Archive content
July 14, 2005updated 22 Nov 2022 4:08pm

TMS sends journalists home on biggest news day of year

By Press Gazette

By Alyson Fixter

Journalists at more than 60 weekly newspapers were banned from going
out to report on the London bombings last Thursday amid fears for their
safety – even though some were as far away as Kent and Buckinghamshire.

Staff at Trinity Mirror Southern titles – including the South London
Press, The Wharf, the Croydon Advertiser, the Reading Chronicle and
even the Whitstable & Herne Bay Times series – received an order to
come back to the office or go straight home on Thursday afternoon.

A
member of staff who contacted Press Gazette said the decision “went
down like a lead balloon” in newsrooms as even journalists who were on
jobs unrelated to the bombing, miles from London, were recalled.

The
email, which was sent to all TMS newsdesk staff at 12.22pm by edi-
torial director Marc Reeves, said: “Staff safety is the NUMBER ONE
priority at this time.

“Please call back into the office anyone
out in the field whether on bombrelated stories or not. Alternatively,
send them home if they are closer.

“For staff in the office, take a view based on local police advice whether and when to send them home.

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

“You must account for every member of staff under your care today.”

A
reporter at one of the weekly papers, who asked not to be named, said:
“Even reporters covering village fetes out in the middle of nowhere had
to go home.

“With some of the orders we get, it has long been
believed that Trinity Mirror head honchos forget that we actually work
hard to produce local newspapers, and this one just about summed it up.

“During
the biggest story of the year,London TMS reporters and photographers
were recalled to their offices and then sent home as their offices were
shut.”

A spokesman for Trinity Mirror Southern said: “Every TMS
title is a weekly, and the deadlines for all but three had passed.
Those that hadn’t gone to press already had extensive coverage of the
morning’s events filed.

“Therefore, after consulting with senior
editors from across TMS, the managing director and editorial director
took the view that there was no immediate need for employees to be out
on the streets.

“They decided the responsible course of action was to recall all field staff to their offices or to send them home.”

He
added that papers such as TMS flagship the South London Press – which
comes out on a Friday – achieved “superb” coverage despite the early
end to the day.

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