Mercury journalists send direct message to boss

Members of the NUJ chapel at the Northcliffe owned Leicester Mercury have sent a scathing open letter to their boss - publisher David Simms - highlighting his alleged admission to journalists that he doesn't read a daily paper or like sport.

The letter from the chapel, which is facing another round of redundancies, also says: "For many of us, the Leicester Mercury is not just a place of work. It is our local newspaper; something that has been read and enjoyed by our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents; something some of us used to deliver as paper boys and girls long before we had the privilege of working in its newsroom.

"To use one of the business buzzwords you seem so fond of, we are stakeholders in this newspaper - and we have grave concerns for its future viability."

The letter states:

AN OPEN LETTER TO DAVID SIMMS

The Leicester Mercury NUJ chapel condemns the latest ruthless round of redundancies in the Leicester Mercury’s editorial department.

The devastating job losses proposed amount to a 20% reduction in staff in a department - the people who produce this newspaper’s coverage of news, features and sport - that has already been savaged time and again by swingeing cuts.

Five years ago, editorial had 97 employees. If these cuts are implemented the departmental headcount will have halved. Put simply, we are are already doing more with vastly reduced resources. To further undermine a department that is already stretched to breaking point not only jeopardises the wellbeing of those who will remain, it endangers the entire business.

The refrain that used to run beneath the Mercury’s masthead was “clearly better”. Now senior managers are telling us “good enough is good enough”. Quality, no longer, is a watchword.

We are being run by a man - you, Mr Simms - who recently told journalists here that you did not read a daily newspaper. You also said that you did not like sport - one of the main drivers of the Mercury’s sales. Neither statement inspired confidence, and now our fears have been abundantly justified.

For many of us, the Leicester Mercury is not just a place of work. It is our local newspaper; something that has been read and enjoyed by our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents; something some of us used to deliver as paper boys and girls long before we had the privilege of working in its newsroom.

To use one of the business buzzwords you seem so fond of, we are stakeholders in this newspaper - and we have grave concerns for its future viability.

The cavalier attitude to axing editorial staff is actually at odds with your own stated plan for taking the business forward.

Your plan is to develop new revenue streams by extending the Mercury’s brand into other areas and across other platforms. But how do you propose to do that Mr Simms if the core product of that brand - its daily newspaper - becomes a tarnished shell of its former self?

Our readers are not stupid. If we can no longer offer them local journalism that entertains, informs and stands up for their interests by properly scrutinising the decisions that affect their lives - holding our elected officials, public bodies and companies to account - then they will desert us in their droves. Advertisers will swiftly follow. The “brand” will command no respect whatsoever.

We are well aware that hard-working, loyal and talented people across Leicestershire are being put out of their jobs. We have reported their stories and we are not seeking special treatment.

The Leicester Mercury, in common with newspapers nationally, has faced a sharp decline in revenues. However, at a time when this paper remains the most profitable in the Northcliffe group, slashing editorial numbers by a fifth appears to be nothing more than profiteering.

Northcliffe’s parent company DMGT reported operating profits of £320 million in 2010. Its directors received £13.39 million in total remuneration last year, including £6.5 million in bonuses alone.

It has been stated that Northcliffe has asked for a set level of cost reductions from the Leicester Mercury.

We would like you to tell us how much money that is and whether you argued against those reductions or put forward alternative proposals. We also want to know why editorial is bearing the brunt of these so-called “efficiency” savings. Were they your idea? If not, who is the architect of these plans?

We are particularly concerned that loyal, long-serving staff are being shown the door. How does that fit with a commitment to maintaining the quality of the newspaper? It would appear to us that the company has no interest other than putting as much money as it can into the hands of its directors in the short-term.

What evidence can you give us that there is no alternative to these unwarranted and damaging cuts?

We ask you, the acting editor Richard Bettsworth and the Northcliffe board to give both us and the readers assurances going forward. Will these be the last of the job losses in editorial this year and for the foreseeable future? Are there any plans to make staff reductions elsewhere? What are your projections in terms of revenues and staff numbers over the next 24 months?

We would also like a clear acknowledgement that continued cuts in staffing will damage the quality of the newspaper, exacerbate the decline in its readership and, therefore, diminish revenues still further.

We look forward to hearing your thoughts on these matters. Please be aware that we also reserve the right to take appropriate action if the explanations and assurances we are seeking are not forthcoming.

Yours, the Chapel.

Should the PCC remit include social media?

Keith Perch , editor of the Leicester Mercury, asks on his blog if social media used by journalists in a professional capacity should come under the remit of the Press Complaints Commission.
He says that journalists on the Mercury have a requirement to abide by the Editors' Code, which undepins the work of the PCC, written into their contracts.
But he adds:"However, it's not quite clear how the PCC code relates to our online work and particularly to the use of social media sites by our journalists."
Perch says he is concerned about professional usage of social media by journalists rather than personal usage, where the Leicester Mercury is not mentioned.
He adds: " I believe that any use of social media sites (including Twitter) in a professional capacity (ie where the member of staff links their usage directly to their job) should be treated in the same way as a column of the newspaper.
"As a columnist, the journalist gets far more freedom and is able to express an opinion. However, as a columnist their work is subject to my editing. I reserve the right to edit their posts. In practice, I never see their posts until after they have been published, but staff know that I am reviewing them and, therefore, I believe, they take this into consideration before publication.
"I have not had to intervene in any posts so far. I regularly read all staff blogs and have a ‘list’ of Mercury journalists set up on Twitter and I review their posts every day. It follows from this that I would be happy for the professional usage to fall within the PCC’s remit."
Perch is asking for views on the issue his blog.

How Mayor's trouser fail tale went worldwide

The Leicester Mercury has a follow up today on its brilliant story about the Mayor's trousers falling down in front of schoolchildren.
It reports: "Leicester has many claims to fame – but probably none more bizarre than the tale of Lord Mayor Colin Hall's trousers falling down. The Mercury broke the story of the 46-year-old's wardrobe malfunction in front of stunned schoolchildren at Southfields Library.
"Now, it has made headlines around the world – attracting comment from as far afield as Australia, India and America. Within minutes of the story going online on Wednesday, it had been commented on by hundreds of social media users across Britain.
"The link to our story has been posted at a rate of once every minute for the past 48 hours on the popular Twitter website, and newspapers, radio and TV stations around the world have picked it up.
"BBC Radio 5 Live held a phone-in to ask listeners to detail their worst clothing malfunctions, Fox News in America ran the story, while Sky News in Australia also picked up on it."
The Mercury has a pic of the Lord Mayor - with his trousers on.

• Posters on the Leicester Mercury website are joining in the fun. Paul, from Leicester, commented: "Does the mayoral car backfire and its doors fall off?"
  

Is this the best ever statement from a Mayor?

Great story about a Mayor's trouser fail on the Leicester Mercury website today which reports: "In a statement, Coun Hall, 46, said: 'Whilst giving a vote of thanks, I suffered a problem with my trousers..."

How students put the hyper-local into the Mercury

Steve Dyson in his blog reviewing the local press, hosted by HoldtheFrontPage, digs up an interesting angle today about how students from the Leicester Centre for Journalism at De Montfort University are helping put hyper-local news into the Leicester Mercury.
Dyson notes the journalism students, like many on similar courses, are each given patches across the town and work in teams to produce real stories each week. But at Leicester, not only do they produce these on double-page spreads as coursework; they also contribute them to www.citizenseye.org, a community news website.
Cititzenseye is run by John Coster to "enable community people in Leicester and Leicestershire to become 'Citizen Reporters', providing a professional media outlet for community groups to promote their events".
Dyson says: "Citizenseye is so well-established that it has a relationship with the Leicester Mercury that is strong enough to warrant actual desks in the newsroom, and the best stories gathered by the website are then used in the newspaper. This includes any cracking tales from students at Leicester's Centre for Journalism."
The close relationship between the paper and the college pays off with many of the De Montfort University journalism students going on to work for the Mercury.

This is what we'll lose if our local press dies

A posting by Leicester Mercury editor Keith Perch on his blog caught my eye because it shows how important the local press is at keeping justice open.
"...here in Leicester, if judges had their way, you might be surprised how often people were locked away in secret. As Editor of the local paper, I am threatened with jail if I report the cases. Just in the past couple of weeks we have come across two such cases. In both, we have launched a legal challenge to the decisions of the courts to ban publication of details of the names of those charged and have won, overturning the decisions so that justice could not only be done, but be seen to be done."
An earlier post by Perch shows how the Mercury has journalists who cover the courts, councils and other vital services in a depth that no other news organisation can match. "The Mercury still has two reporters whose only job is to cover courts - it's all they do. We also have two full-time council reporters, two full-time business reporters, a health correspondent, an education correspondent and a social affairs correspondent. None of these is tied to their desk. They all run their own diaries, find their own stories, cultivate their own contacts - they decide whether or not they are at their desks or out and about."
Perch's posts reminded me of a comment by George Dearsley on his blog earlier this year: "Clever people talk of micro-blogging replacing local journalism. But what blogger will sit in Glossop magistrates court all day?"

Leicester Mercury editor on naming the youths accused of tormenting Pilkington family

Leicester Mercury editor Keith Perch has posted on his blog on why the paper named the youths accused of tormenting Fiona Pilkington who killed her daughter and then herself.

Perch writes: "As a rule, the Mercury, in line with the Press Complaints Commission's code of conduct, does not name children under the age of 16 involved in crime. ..The issue here was that there was no court case, but two boys and their older brother were named in national newspapers - one of them branded 'Street Rat' on the front page of the Sun. A local councillor was also raising a petition to have the family evicted.

"You may be surprised to hear that our first reaction was not to name the family and particularly the two younger boys. But after some discussion we decided to do the opposite - to name the boys and use their photographs.

"What was behind the decision?Primarily, it was because any pretence that these boys had anonymity was ridiculous. Everybody in the area knew the identity of the boys even before the national papers got involved. It was clear from our discussions with neighbours that they were well-known in the area and their links to the Pilkington case were common knowledge - not naming them would have made our article look very odd and would not have 'protected' the boys in any way."

Perch also discusses how the Mercury reported stories from three other families who claimed to have suffered harassment.

How Leicester Mercury broke Hewitt exclusive

Leicester Mercury editor Keith Perch describes on his blog how the paper got the exclusive that local MP Patricia Hewitt was standing down at the next General Election.
He writes: "It's an exclusive in the old-fashioned sense of the word. That is, it hasn't appeared anywhere else first, although I suspect that within a few minutes of the paper hitting the newsagents and the story appearing on our website, it will be everywhere - all over the Internet, tv, radio and, of course, the national papers (although they will have to wait until tomorrow).
"I can't claim that this exclusive is the result of good old-fashioned investigative reporting. Well, not directly anyway. The truth is Ms Hewitt sent me an email over the weekend asking if she could come to see me yesterday as she had an 'announcement' to make which she thought should be done through the Leicester Mercury.
"Given the clamour of doomsayers who have been writing the obituary of local newspapers over the past few years, why do people like Ms Hewitt turn to papers like the Leicester Mercury when they have something to say? Clearly the fact that 170,000 people read the Mercury every day plays a big part in that - we are still the best way to talk to the people of Leicester."

Three Northcliffe dailies chop city finals

Three of Northcliffe's East Midlands dailies have dropped their city final editions this week as they switch to overnight printing, HoldtheFrontPage reports today.
The Leicester Mercury and The Sentinel, Stoke, have moved from four editions to three while the Derby Evening Telegraph has moved from two editions to a single overnight edition.
The move means a name change for the Derby daily. The Telegraph has dropped "Evening" from its masthead and will now be known as the Derby Telegraph.
Historical note, courtesy of the The Encyclopedia of the British Press by Dennis Griffiths. The Derby paper had been called the Derby Evening Telegraph since 1932, although it began life as the Derby Daily Telegraph in 1879.

Regional press crisis: A message from the Leicester Mercury subs to management

Subs at Northcliffe's flagship Leicester Mercury are urging the paper's management to back the paper's "Support our County" campaign and scrap plans to transfer their jobs to Nottingham.
The Mercury campaign aims to encourage readers to shop in Leicestershire.
Chris Morley, NUJ northern organiser, said: “The Support our County campaign had the laudable aim of encouraging independent traders. But, while parading their Leicestershire credentials on the front page of the paper, Mercury bosses were in the boardroom hatching plans to forcibly move some local shoppers on their own staff - and their money – to Nottingham. You couldn’t make it up."
The Leicester Mercury NUJ chapel has written to local MPs, councillors, and other opinion formers urging them to protest about the cuts to the company.
Their letter says: “The Northcliffe newspaper group, which runs the Leicester Mercury, is cutting back on the number of journalists who produce your local paper.
“The Leicester Mercury is one of hundreds of titles the company owns across the UK, which also include the Nottingham Evening Post and Derby Evening Telegraph.
“Last year, operating profits for the Daily Mail and General Trust, parent group for Northcliffe, were £317 million. At Leicester, latest figures show the company made £20,000 profit for each employee. In pursuit of further ‘cost savings’ the company plans to move the printing and journalistic production of the Leicester Mercury to Nottingham.
“So, if Northcliffe really values this county, and being “At the heart of all things local”, why is it moving production of a proud local paper all the way to Nottingham?
“We recognise these are difficult financial times and that cost savings may have to be made - and even that some jobs may be lost. However, we have put forward proposals that would make substantial savings without ending a proud 135-year history of producing Leicestershire’s daily paper in Leicester."

Northcliffe makes digital director Keith Perch acting editor of Leicester Mercury

Northcliffe announced today that Keith Perch is to be acting editor of its flagship Leicester Mercury following the departure of long serving Mercury editor Nick Carter.
Perch has been a leading player in Northcliffe's digital plans, as editor and managing director of Northcliffe Electronic Publishing and latterly as the company's digital development director.
It was announced three weeks ago that Carter was leaving after 15 years to become the first chairman of the Leicester and Leicestershire Economic Development Company, a new body aiming to drive economic growth across the area.
Perch was editor of the South Wales Echo from 1993-97 but was lured back to Northcliffe to edit the Derby Evening Telegraph from 1997-2001. The move lead to a Press Gazette story headlined: "Perch Poached".
Story via HoldtheFrontPage.

Burton Mail and Leicester Mercury editors quit

Another regional editor has quit his post. HoldtheFrontPage reports that former Sun journalist Paul Hazeldine, has resigned as editor of the Burton Mail after seven years.
He is to be replaced by Steve Lowe, previously group editor of LSN Media and editor of Bedfordshire on Sunday, who has been made editor-in-chief of the new Iliffe News and Media Central division, which now covers the Burton title. Hazeldine told HTFP:"I am leaving today but it's nothing to do with anything else that has been announced. I am just retiring from journalism and doing other things."
Lowe was recruited to Bedfordshire on Sunday by the paper's founder Frank Branston.
It was also revealed on Friday that Nick Carter, one of Northcliffe's longest-serving editors was leaving the Leicester Mercury after 15 years. He is to become the first chairman of the Leicester and Leicestershire Economic Development Company, a new body set up by the city of Leicester and county councils to help drive economic growth across the area.
Meanwhile, HTFP is reporting more jobs gloom. It says up to 49 jobs are at risk on papers in Johnston's Midlands divisions. The company is proposing to create three centralised subbing operations to be based in Northampton, Peterborough and Milton Keynes. A staff consultation is due to finish by 6 March.