Trinity Mirror is restructuring production across its Scottish weeklies in a move that will result in seven production staff losing their jobs.
Media Scotland also announced a selective voluntary redundancy programme for all editorial staff employed by its subsidiary Scottish & Universal Newspapers.
The restructure, which focuses on the Scottish weekly division and Paisley Daily Express, will see the creation of a single editorial production hub in Glasgow serving all weekly titles including the Glaswegian.
Production staff at Hamilton, Stirling, Kilmarnock and Ayr will transfer to the Central Quay office in Glasgow in July.
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Trinity also announced that while Media Scotland will keep its current senior editorial structure, it plans to re-establish the title of editor on all of its Scottish papers, part of an ongoing review over the next three months.
The news comes after the planned roll-out of the ContentWatch editorial system across Media Scotland, which will see each title ‘relaunched with a new look, sharing the same design, fonts and colour libraries”.
Twelve copy-inputter roles are also at risk of redundancy as part of the restructure, but seven new trainee reporting roles will be opened up to application from those staff that are affected.
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Trinity said that additional training will be made available to copy inputters where necessary ‘to enable them to fulfil the requirements of these new reporting roles”.
Two staff photographers roles are also earmarked to go. Trinity said this was ‘due to the introduction of Content Hub for Publishers and increased content from readers and reporters”,
Media Scotland announced a selective voluntary redundancy programme for all editorial staff employed by its subsidiary Scottish & Universal Newspapers.
Allan Rennie, Media Scotland editor-in-chief, said: ‘This is a significant change for us all, but it is necessary for our future.
‘This gives us an important competitive publishing advantage over our rivals across all platforms, including print, mobile and tablet.
‘Our titles will be more efficient and able to adapt to the rapidly changing media landscape. Above all, they will still be at the heart of the communities they serve.
‘We have today entered into a period of consultation with all affected staff and our aim is to achieve this restructure through voluntary means.”
Media Scotland was created in December 2011 when Trinity merged the Scottish Daily Record and Sunday Mail with sister company Scottish and Universal Newspapers.
It resulted in the departure of Bruce Waddell, who had been editor-in-chief of the Daily Record and Sunday Mail for the last eight years, and saw rennie appointed editor-in-chief of Media Scotland.
The managing director of Trinity Mirror Nationals, Mark Hollinshead, also took on the role of MD for Media Scotland
In January, Trinity closed five offices in Scotland with the loss of 35 non-editorial jobs in areas including telesales, merchandising and reception.
The Edinburgh office of the Daily Record and Sunday Mail was closed, along with Dumbarton, Airdrie, Irvine and Paisley offices.
Hollinshead said they were ‘not fit for purpose”.
Media Scotland unveiled its new senior editorial structure in February. Daily Record deputy editor Murray Foote was made group editor and Stephen Martin, the Scotland editor of the Sunday Mirror, was appointed group content editor.
Both report to Rennie and work alongside group editor (local titles) Alan Woodison and digital director Ewan Watt.
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