Sunday Mirror editor Tina Weaver and Daily Mirror editor Richard Wallace have both been made redundant as the titles are moved to seven days a week publishing.
As part of a major editorial restructure, People editor Lloyd Embley has been appointed editor of both the Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror.
Two new senior editorial roles have been created with an editor for the Daily Mirror (weekdays) and a weekend editor of the Mirror, combining the editorship of the Daily Mirror on Saturday with that of the Sunday Mirror. Both roles will report to Embley.
In a statement released this morning Trinity said: ‘As a consequence of these changes the roles of editor Daily Mirror and editor Sunday Mirror have been made redundant and therefore Richard Wallace and Tina Weaver will leave the company with immediate effect.”
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The company claimed today’s announcement was a further step towards ‘creating one of the most technologically advanced and operationally efficient newsrooms in Europe”.
The same statement was made when Trinity announced up to 80 editorial staff were being redundant in February.
Today’s statement continued: “The seven-day organisation across the two titles is enabled through the company’s multi-million pound investment in the ContentWatch editorial system.
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‘The new structure will ensure that our newsroom is fully equipped to achieve the company’s multi-media publishing strategy across our newspapers, online, mobile and new e-editions for tablet devices.”
Mark Hollinshead, managing director, nationals, said: “At the core of our business the Daily Mirror is as strong as ever with year on year circulation trends, despite widespread cut price competition, out performing the market in 11 out of the last 12 months.
“Today’s announcement represents an important step change in meeting the needs of a multi-media publishing environment. The next 12 months will be transformational for our business as we continue to grow our online audience, maximise audience delivery on mobile and launch new e-editions for tablet devices in addition to further developing our newspapers.
“I’m delighted to appoint Lloyd to the position of editor of the Daily and Sunday Mirror. He is an accomplished editor who has done a first class job on improving the performance and profile of The People having spent several years on the Daily Mirror in a senior executive role.
“Both Richard and Tina leave with our best wishes for the future and our thanks for the extremely valuable contribution they have made to the Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror during their tenure as respective editors.”
Paula Scott has been appointed publishing director for magazines and will continue to report to Hollinshead. She was previously business development director.
NUJ attacks Bailey’s ‘monumental lack of vision’
Responding to today’s news, NUJ general secretary Michelle Stanistreet said:’The shock announcement today is a decision made once again without any consultation or agreement with staff. The move to a seven day operation and the brutal axing of the editors is an example of a company in crisis.
‘It says a lot about the board of Trinity Mirror that they have allowed chief executive Sly Bailey, finally on her way out after presiding over stupendous decline, to push such drastic measures through.
“The statement from the company tries to dress up this last hurrah as a leap into a brave new world of multimedia publishing – the reality is that these cuts and the weakening of the titles’ identities will be a further blow to resources and quality journalism from a lame duck chief executive whose monumental lack of vision has seen the company’s fortunes plummet.
“Half of all jobs across the entire group have already been axed, the company’s strength has ebbed away yet executives have consistently attacked its assets – journalists and the quality journalism they produce. Although the NUJ does not have formal recognition rights yet at Trinity Mirror’s national titles, the union will be meeting with its many members across the titles to discuss their response as a chapel.”
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