LENNOX HERALD IS STRUGGLING TO SURVIVE AS PART OF NATIONAL GROUP

By Bill Heaney

Sales of the Lennox Herald are plummeting fast as national publisher Reach plc has announced what it claims is “a small number” of redundancies at its Scottish titles, which include  the oldest newspaper in Dunbartonshire, despite a management pledge of no further job losses this year.

The staff numbers at the Lennox Herald, which was once locally owned and printed and published by Bennet and Thomson in Church Street in premises between Dumbarton Sheriff Court and the Burgh Hall, amount to just two.

These are an editor and one reporter who operate out of the Daily Record office in Glasgow while their local office in Dumbarton High Street has closed and the circulation has slumped from around 14,000 to just over 1,000. The newspaper had a household penetration figure of 78 per cent at one point.

Daily Record editor and Reach Scotland editor-in-chief David Dick, right, set out plans for a restructure of what’s left of the business at some of its regional titles, including the Lennox, in an email to staff last week.

The proposals also involve the merger of the Sunday Mail team into a seven-day operation with the Record and coincide with the departure of the Mail’s editor, Lorna Hughes, pictured left.

One industry journal is reporting that it understands that the number of people leaving the Scottish regional titles will be in single digits, and that there are no corresponding cutbacks affecting local titles in England.

However, in January, the group’s chief executive Jim Mullen issued what was widely interpreted as a pledge of no more job cuts following the pre-Christmas restructure a year ago which saw 320 editorial jobs lost.

Mr Mullen said at the time that “the teams we have starting the year are those that I, and my ExCo team, plan to be continuing this journey by the end of the year.”

David Dick’s e mail stated:  “We have announced some changes to the structure of our Scottish team today. Those colleagues most affected by these changes have all been spoken to and I want to give the wider team an update on these developments.

“The biggest change will be seen across the regional titles which continue to be adversely affected by changing reader habits and falling circulations.

“This has had a serious impact on the overall profitability of our regional papers and, in order to safeguard their immediate future, it has become necessary to propose a restructure of the team to ensure we are operating in the most efficient and cost-effective way.

“On the national side of the business, we plan to merge the Sunday Mail team into a wider seven-day operation across our national titles.

“Unfortunately, these changes mean a small number of roles have been placed at risk of redundancy and the people affected have now entered a consultation process.

“This is a difficult time for everyone in our team and I hope you can all support your colleagues, as we go through this process.”