UK – 24 July 2014

This week’s Media Updates covers changes at news titles including The Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Gazette and South Wales Guardian; fashion and lifestyle changes at ELLE magazine; business changes at The Financial Times and Access All Areas; health science & tech changes at Linux User & Developer. There are also blog spotlights featuring lifestyle and beauty bloggers

News & Current Affairs

• The publisher of Daily Express, Sunday Express, Daily Star and Daily Star Sunday to cut headcount from about 650 to 450, The Guardian reports
• Evan Davis has been appointed lead presenter of Newsnight and will anchor the show three nights a week from the autumn
• The Times has appointed Harry Wilson as city editor. Wilson was previously banking editor at The Daily Telegraph
• The Telegraph Wonder Women has revamped its ‘Work’ section
• Becky Barrow announced via Twitter that she will be leaving the Daily Mail to join the Sunday Times as Head of Money in September
• Lisa Meakin has joined the South Wales Guardian as reporter, the publication announced via Twitter
• Imagine Publishing is set to launch a new knowledge magazine titled How it Works Illustrated on 31 July
• Johnston Press’s managing directors for Northern Ireland and Scotland are to leave as part of a shake-up that will see the company combine several publishing divisions. The changes will see the managing directors for Yorkshire and the North East take charge of Scottish titles. Yorkshire MD Helen Oldham will see her portfolio extend to cover Scotland’s flagship titles – The Scotsman, Scotland on Sunday and the Edinburgh Evening News. And North East MD Stephen Plews will see his remit extend to all Scottish titles excluding these. Warren Butcher, MD of the North West and the Isle of Man, will take charge of JP’s Northern Ireland titles. The restructure, announced by chief executive Ashley Highfield, will see Northern Ireland MD Jean Long and Scotland MD Stuart Birkett leave the business after 22 years each.
• The Gazette (Blackpool) has appointed Anna Cryer as entertainment and features writer
• The Carmarthen Journal has published a special nostalgia supplement on July 23 that looks back at the local area over the decades
• The Carmarthen Journal has also brought on board a new reporter, Bethan Haf Marsh. She will be covering the Teifi and Lampeter areas
• Horncastle News announced via Twitter that its reporter Tom Carlisle has left the publication
• John Maclean is stepping down as editor and publisher of The SouthSide Press
• Oldham Evening Chronicle health reporter Marina Berry has retired
• After 114 years in the building, the Berwick Advertiser is set to move out of 90 Marygate
• Parent company Johnston Press has agreed a long-term lease of four office suites at Berwick Workspace, located just behind the existing Advertiser building

Business & Finance

• The Financial Times has appointed Megan Murphy as Washington bureau chief to lead the FT’s coverage of US politics. She will assume the role on 1 January 2015 and will relocate from London to Washington, DC, this fall. Murphy succeeds Richard McGregor, who will work on longer-term projects.
• Access All Areas announced via Twitter that it has appointed Tom Hall as its new editor
• Stephanie Baxter has joined Professional Pensions as chief correspondent, the publication announced via Twitter.

Fashion, Lifestyle & Entertainment

• Leisa Barnett has been promoted to content editor at ELLE magazine. She was previously news and social media editor

An interview with Dane Cobain, the man behind the blog SocialBookshelves.com, and a social media marketer at fst The Group, an integrated creative agency. Dane discusses key social media trends, what the World Cup taught us about real time marketing, starting his book blog and his top tips for PRs wanting to work with bloggers.

An interview with Holly Cassell, author of the lifestyle, fashion and photography blog, The Persephone Complex. She spoke to us about the content that makes up her site, working with brands, her biggest PR pet peeves and trends in the blogosphere.

An interview with Thu Tieu, author of the beauty blog, Face Made Up. Thu discusses how she works with marketers, what they can do better in content collaborations, how blogs are revolutionising marketing and branching out into more lifestyle topics on her blog.

If you have any media changes let us know on Twitter @Media_Updates or you can email Priyanka Dayal