The recent spate of departures by regional newspaper editors has prompted concern from the editor of Britain's highest circulation regional daily, Keith Harrison, of Wolverhampton's Express & Star.
He posted two tweets. The first one referred to three editors going within a week. The second said:
"Regional newspaper industry can't afford to keep losing experienced editors like this and expect to maintain quality."
That presupposes that the "industry" - as distinct from editors/journalists - gives a damn about editorial quality.
HoldTheFrontPage reports that seven regional daily editors have now left newspapers since May.
It lists them as John Szymanski (Sunderland Echo), Michael Beard (Brighton Argus), Colin Channon (Echo in Essex and Colchester Gazette), Richard Bowyer (Stoke Sentinel), Alun Thorne (Coventry Telegraph), Richard Bettsworth (Leicester Mercury) and Tim Gordon (South Wales Echo).
All four main regional newspaper publishers - Johnston Press, Local World, Trinity Mirror and Newsquest/Gannett - feature in that list.
Szymanski, in fairness, may yet save himself from redundancy. But Harrison's point is well made. He appears to think it is not just an unhappy coincidence that so many editors have departed in a relatively short space of time.
Given that there are some 85 daily regionals in England, Wales and Scotland, it's fair to suggest it might be nothing more than routine turn-over.
But I suspect Harrison's fears are correct. There is less and less joy in being a regional newspaper editor nowadays. One disgruntled editor told me before his departure (to a PR post): "I'm nothing more than a chief sub."
He didn't mean to be rude about chief subs, of course. His point was that the days of an editor spending time out of the office and meeting people was long past.
Sadly, the title of editor has become increasingly meaningless in the local and regional press. The "industry" likes that. Journalists do not. It erodes still further the chances of news-gathering.
Is it not time for the Society of Editors to speak up about this matter and campaign on behalf of their members? I know it's not a union, but it must surely be worried about the current situation. Over to you, Bob Satchwell!
Source & hat tip: HoldTheFrontPage
