news


Oldham daily paper shuts after 160 years


160 years ago, has closed down after the company that produces it entered administration. The paper was published by


T


Hirst, Kidd and Rennie Ltd. Administrators KPMG said the company had been affected by the “changing nature of the local media landscape”. The majority of the 49


staff have been made redundant. Some employees had worked for the title for many years. The Chronicle was


established in 1854 at the time the town was enjoying a


he Oldham Evening Chronicle, which was established more than


boom in the textile industry. Three years later, its editor Jonathan Hirst and manager Wallace Rennie bought the paper for £800. Since then, the Hirst family has remained closely involved with the paper. The newspaper produced


several other titles. The Oldham Extra, Saddleworth Extra, Tameside Extra and the Dale Times have also ceased production, as well as three quarterly magazines – Oldham Business Edge, The Knowledge and Primary Knowledge. However, hopes for journalism in Oldham after the collapse of the Chronicle


were swiftly buoyed by the launch of two titles and the strengthening of the Manchester Evening News’ coverage of news and events in the nearby town. The Oldham Times was launched by Newsquest following the Chronicle’s closure at the end of August. The Times is also a weekly and has four editorial staff. At the same time, the Oldham Reporter was started by Quest Media. The news group also publishes the Tameside Reporter, which covers the neighbouring metropolitan borough of Tameside.


The Manchester Evening


News is now producing a special Oldham edition with a dedicated front page and several pages of Oldham news.


“ ” DUNGANNON HERALD STEPS INTO THE GAP A A


new weekly paper was launched in Northern Ireland in August.


The Dungannon Herald covers the


East Tyrone area. It is published on Thursdays by the North West News Group. The group already publishes


newspapers in four other towns in the


north west of Ireland. Owned by the Lynch family, it is the largest family- owned group of newspapers remaining in Ireland. The Dungannon Herald aims to fill the space which has been left by the collapse of the Dungannon-based Observer Group of newspapers earlier this year. The Observer Group had


published 11 newspapers across Northern Ireland. NUJ member Annamay McNally


works for the new paper on a freelance basis. She said that the general local reaction to the new publication had been very encouraging. “There does seem to be a demand for quality local journalism,” she said.


Appeal to mayor over London press


report by the London Assembly’s economic committee has called


on the mayor of London to stand up for local news as local newspapers become “an endangered species”. The committee


recommended that the mayor should: ensure that news outlets pay staff at least the London living wage; work with the NUJ to; establish a digital journalism apprenticeship; and work with organisations to fund


bursaries for journalists to tackle the lack of diversity in local news. It also said that Transport


for London should set up a trial offer of local newspapers on London bus routes.


The paper started in 1854 at the time the town was enjoying a boom in textiles


in brief...


MOTSON TO HEAD OFF THE PITCH NEXT YEAR Veteran sports commentator John Motson is to end a 50-year BBC career at the end of the football season. The 72-year-old broadcaster has covered 10 World Cups, 10 European Championships, 29 FA Cup finals and more than 200 England games. Motson joined the BBC in 1968 after working as a reporter on regional papers.


SMITH FRONTS POLITICS SHOW The BBC’s Scotland Editor Sarah Smith has taken over from Andrew Neil as the new presenter of the Sunday Politics show. She is combining working on the show along with her role as the Scotland Editor, based in Glasgow. Neil has presented Sunday Politics since it started in January 2012 and he will carry on presenting the Daily Politics and This Week shows.


BROWN NEW EDITOR OF WOMAN&HOME Woman&home, a monthly magazine published by Time UK, has appointed Kath Brown as editor. She joined from Woman magazine where she was lifestyle director. She replaces editorial director Sue James, who left in the summer to set up a media business. Brown began her career at Just Seventeen, More! and Sugar teenage magazines.


FIRST APPRENTICE AT THE SUNDAY TIMES Shingi Mararike has joined The Sunday Times as its first journalism apprentice. He was recruited through News UK’s summer school for would-be journalists and will work with five apprentices training with The Sun.


ACTION AGAINST PR FIRM BELL POTTINGER Bell Pottinger is in administration after the PR firm suffered a loss of clients and mounting financial losses in the wake of the scandal over its work in South Africa. Administrators BDO had tried to find a buyer in a fire sale of the business but said it had made a number of the 250 staff redundant to recoup losses and pay off debt.


theJournalist | 5


LORNA ROBERTS / ALAMY


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28