UK – 13 October 2016

This week’s Media Updates covers moves and changes at news titles including Scottish Sun, Irish Sun, Mirror Online, BBC Newsnight, Motor Sport, Women’s Health, Tatler, Music Week, Legal Business and Official Xbox Magazine

News & current affairs

• Trinity Mirror have announced they are to merge the Daily Record and Sunday Mail into an integrated seven-day operation covering print and digital. It means the merger of the two separate news and features departments into one, along with the back bench news and sports. Daily Record Editor Murray Foote will also be editor in chief of Scottish nationals with Brendan McGinty his deputy. Brendan will have the title of Sunday Mail Editor
• Alan Muir and Kieran McDaid have both been confirmed as editors at the Scottish Sun and the Irish Sun respectively
• Anne-Marie Tomchak has joined Mashable UK as their UK editor
• Samir Farah has been appointed as the head of BBC Arabic
• Jess Brammar has been appointed deputy editor at BBC Newsnight
• Matt Gatward is leaving the Independent to join the Sun as the assistant sports editor on November 4th
• Emily Banks has been appointed editor at the Hampstead & Highgate Express
• James Johnson has been appointed digital editor at the Southern Daily Echo. He was previously social media editor at the title
• Owen Bennett, currently deputy political editor at Huffington Post UK is now on paternity leave and will return on January 2nd 2017
• Sam Walker is to take a break from presenting on BBC Radio 5 Live from 20th October. She will return in the new year
• Matthew Abbott has left his role as features editor at SWNS

Fashion, lifestyle and entertainment

• Nick Trott has been appointed as the new editor at Motor Sport magazine. He is currently the editor at Evo
• James Gill has been appointed deputy editor at BALANCE
• Terry Barbrook has been appointed acting deputy editor at Women’s Health covering for Jessica Salter who is now on maternity leave
• Sophia Moir has been appointed acting shows editor at MTV. She was previously assistant shows editor
• Olivia Marks has been appointed commissioning editor at Vogue. She succeeds Violet Henderson who is now contributing editor
• Victoria Marston has been appointed deputy features editor at Country Life
• Jennifer George has been appointed health and beauty associate at Tatler
• Ben Homewood has been appointed senior staff writer at Music Week. He has previously been reviews editor at NME and most recently freelanced for the likes of The Guardian, Red Bull Music, BBC Music and BEAT
• Carlotta Constant has been promoted to acting style and grooming editor at GQ covering Jessica Punter’s maternity leave. Also at the title, Jake Pummintr has been appointed acting fashion assistant
• Eniola Dare has been appointed fashion assistant at ES Magazine

Business and finance

• The Financial Times has unveiled a new website for its luxury magazine How To Spend It. There are three new content categories: Unforgettable Experiences, Things to Love and Personal Recommendations, each curated by the website’s senior editors. The design of the Gift Guide has also been enhanced.
• Helen Barrett has been appointed Work & Careers editor at the Financial Times
• Caroline Baldwin has been promoted to group digital features editor, working across both Essential Retail and Retail Design World. Previously deputy editor of Essential Retail, she will continue to write features on retail technology as well as developing features on store design formats. A central part of her new role will be spearheading digital content for both publications, which will include developing a video and social media strategy. She will also continue to co-host the Retail Ramble podcast. NOTE: Essential eCommerce was merged into Essential Retail six months ago and therefore all eCommerce features should be directed to either Caroline Baldwin or Ben Sillitoe
• Keith Adams, the editor at Classic Car Weekly, is set to become the editor at Parkers on the 31st October
• Emma Munbodh has been appointed senior personal finance correspondent at Mirror Online. She was previously deals editor at the website
• Georgiana Tudor has been appointed reporter at Legal Business
• Mike Berry has left his role as managing editor at the Publican’s Morning Advertiser to join PR agency Fleet Street Communications

Health, science and technology

• Rhiannon Williams has been appointed technology correspondent at the i Paper. She has previously been a technology reporter at the Daily Telegraph and most recently a freelance writer at BBC News
• Matt Gilman has been appointed editor at the Official Xbox Magazine replacing Matthew Castle