The Trinity Mirror statement: The proposals will ensure the national titles are able to meet the economic challenges facing the industry and the technological revolution changing the way that readers obtain information.
The wide-ranging plans take advantage of the company's multi-million pound investment in the ContentWatch editorial system which streamlines the production process and facilitates efficient online publishing.
ContentWatch helped transform the newsroom and, using this as a foundation, these new proposals aim to create an even more efficient multimedia operation which will ensure a successful and sustainable future for Trinity Mirror's national titles.
The proposals include:
The creation of a centralised reporting and production hub with teams working across all three titles which will allow for greater flexibility of staff working patterns over seven days.
The retention of bespoke editorial teams for each title to protect their unique identity.
The introduction of an innovative new 'peak-time resourcing' plan to improve agility and flexibility so that we can respond more efficiently to peak periods of production activity.
Editors will have access to a greater number of reporters than is currently available to them on an individual basis and shorter shifts in production will maintain staffing levels in peak periods.
An increase in the range and depth of regional coverage. A number of additional district reporters will be recruited as the national titles invest in more reporters in major regional markets.
Further development of our outsourcing capabilities with an increase in the number of pages sent to the Press Association for subediting.
Richard Wallace will take on management responsibility for the new content and production hub in addition to his responsibilities as Editor of the Daily Mirror. All three national newspaper Editors, including Tina Weaver for the Sunday Mirror and Lloyd Embley for The People, will continue to report to Mark Hollinshead, Managing Director of Trinity Mirror's Nationals division.
As a consequence of these changes it is anticipated that there will be a reduction in headcount of up to 75 editorial staff, comprising both full and part time staff, and the aim is to make as many of the redundancies as possible by voluntary means.
Trinity Mirror has entered into a period of consultation with all affected staff and their representatives.
