Word reaches me that amongst those (allegedly) applying (or considering applying) for redundancy at the Daily Record and Sunday Mail are some of the more high-profile and well-kent names in the paper. The thinking apparently is that the redundancy cuts after this one will not be as decent in terms of what is offered so many are grabbing what they can now.
And amongst those grabbing it are those well-known in Scottish print, but also elsewhere.
Now for beancounters of a certain mentality, this must be fantastic news because you are getting rid of the high earners (indeed, some at Trinity Mirror feel this latest cull is all about getting people over £40,000 out the door), but in the long-term it’s a terrible move for the paper – online and off.
The high-profile writers are, as much as the Daily Record, a brand in themselves. You only have to look at how well-known they are, proof of which is that in many conversations amongst the public they are referred to only by their surname. These are household names in a country where there’s very few left in print, so to let them go is madness.
I doubt that there’s many who will pick up another paper to follow them, but at the same time it’s an eroding of your brand when you let your top guns go – especially when your title is still in profit.
These people are also the paper’s brand ambassadors who stick up for it elsewhere.
As for the writers themselves, they’ll be fine. They have other work that will help them and their professionalism and contacts books will ensure they don’t go hungry. For the paper though, losing the big guns with few to follow them up, it’s a terribly judged move (of course, it may be that their redundancy is rejected).
But if the sacred writers are being seen as targets, what’s next? The agony aunts?