The Scottish Daily Record and Sunday Mail has today announced plans to develop a fully integrated editorial operation which includes a multi million pound investment in cutting-edge technology.
This will lead to the development of a single integrated editorial production operation across both the Daily Record and Sunday Mail and the division's associated websites and titles including the Glaswegian and Business 7.
These changes are expected to result in the reduction of up to 70 editorial positions across the business and today the Daily Record and Sunday Mail Ltd has entered into a period of consultation with all of those staff likely to be affected.
Initially this will involve the reorganisation of the senior editorial team across all areas of the portfolio in preparation for the installation of 'ContentWatch', a state-of-the art web-based content management system which will enable the production of high quality content across multiple channels.
The current, five step editorial process - from reporter to newsdesk to designer to sub to revise - has remained largely unchanged for decades. This will be replaced with a new, three-step process - content creation, multimedia desk, page finishing - driven by simplified workflows and supported by cutting-edge technology.
As a result Bruce Waddell has been appointed Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Record and Sunday Mail heralding a new era for Scotland's biggest multi-media publisher.
With immediate effect, Sunday Mail Editor Allan Rennie has been appointed Editorial Development Director of Trinity Mirror's national titles.
Allan will work closely with Bruce Waddell, until the new editorial structure has been put in place.
In his crucial new role, Rennie's responsibilities will include transfer of best practice across the portfolio contributing to product and content development initiatives. He will also play a major role in the implementation of editorial systems and journalistic training across the division.
Going forward all staff under the new operation will be given a full programme of multimedia training to accommodate the new system.
Bruce Waddell, Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Record and Sunday Mail, said: "The Daily Record and Sunday Mail are Scotland's best read and most iconic titles. They will remain so.
"They both have fantastic news, sport and features content. Nothing will change in that respect. As part of this, we will integrate our growing digital operation into the overall editorial structure. "
Mark Hollinshead, Trinity Mirror's Managing Director Nationals, said: "These are extraordinary days in our industry. No business, including ours, has escaped the economic downturn. This reorganisation plus the investment in technology and retraining of staff will better position us for the future in what will be a dramatically different media economy and commercial environment."
