Headline poses
same question
we ask about
the Standard
same question
we ask about
the Standard
A few days ago we regretted the decline in the quality and coverage of the Boston Standard - a piece which prompted one reader to comment: "I don't know why you're having a pop at the Standard now, for the last ten years it's been an embarrassment of a publication, shoddily put together in some print shop miles away from the town.
"Sadly though, it is the best of a very poor bunch of local papers."
Damning with faint praise indeed, but given the latest news, we wonder how much longer even that dubious laurel is likely to survive.
The Standard's parent company Johnston Press - deep in debt and with a market value of a fraction of what it once was - plans to cut almost 50 editorial jobs at its Midlands operation by creating three regional sub editing hubs to produce papers for its six existing Midlands publishing operations.
One report claims that a number of weekly newspaper editor and deputy editor posts could also be at risk, and the company also recently imposed a pay freeze on staff.However, Johnston Press said all local centres would retain local reporting staff and local heads of content.
How generous!
"Sadly though, it is the best of a very poor bunch of local papers."
Damning with faint praise indeed, but given the latest news, we wonder how much longer even that dubious laurel is likely to survive.
The Standard's parent company Johnston Press - deep in debt and with a market value of a fraction of what it once was - plans to cut almost 50 editorial jobs at its Midlands operation by creating three regional sub editing hubs to produce papers for its six existing Midlands publishing operations.
One report claims that a number of weekly newspaper editor and deputy editor posts could also be at risk, and the company also recently imposed a pay freeze on staff.However, Johnston Press said all local centres would retain local reporting staff and local heads of content.
How generous!
Nick Mills, the Johnston Press Midlands division managing director, said the proposed changes were "to ensure continued delivery of high quality, local content across the group's various titles."
He's obviously not read our local recently.
"In the event that the proposals go ahead, we anticipate there will be up to 49 potential redundancies."
Under the proposal, sub editing for titles in the company's Lincolnshire Newspapers would be reorganised into a new hub in Peterborough, from where the publisher runs its East Midlands Newspapers division.
Under the proposal, sub editing for titles in the company's Lincolnshire Newspapers would be reorganised into a new hub in Peterborough, from where the publisher runs its East Midlands Newspapers division.
We feel very sorry for the staff who might be affected.
But, having said that, the Standard has become the victim of a vicious downward spiral of its own making.
Less news has meant fewer readers - in August, the Standard's circulation was 11,305 ... a year-on-year fall of 6.9% which continues a long decline.
But, having said that, the Standard has become the victim of a vicious downward spiral of its own making.
Less news has meant fewer readers - in August, the Standard's circulation was 11,305 ... a year-on-year fall of 6.9% which continues a long decline.
Meanwhile the company continues to insult our intelligence by stuffing the totally useless Lincolnshire Citizen through our letterboxes every week.
The Citizen is the ultimate example of business indifference towards the customers it claims to serve. A couple of stories (if you're lucky - although seldom local to us) then advertising from Grimsby to Stamford - it doesn't matter what - so long as it fills the space and turns in a few quid.
We all know the geography of Lincolnshire, but it seems that advertisers simply don't realise the futility of trying to sell their wares to a customer who lives fifty miles away or more.
The Standard originally thrived on the tenet that local was best, and advertisers and readers responded accordingly.
Becoming even more remote is a solution of sorts - a recipe for disaster!
Write to us at boston.eye@googlemail.com. Your e-mail will be treated in confidence if requested.
The Citizen is the ultimate example of business indifference towards the customers it claims to serve. A couple of stories (if you're lucky - although seldom local to us) then advertising from Grimsby to Stamford - it doesn't matter what - so long as it fills the space and turns in a few quid.
We all know the geography of Lincolnshire, but it seems that advertisers simply don't realise the futility of trying to sell their wares to a customer who lives fifty miles away or more.
The Standard originally thrived on the tenet that local was best, and advertisers and readers responded accordingly.
Becoming even more remote is a solution of sorts - a recipe for disaster!
Write to us at boston.eye@googlemail.com. Your e-mail will be treated in confidence if requested.
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