On Tuesday 9th February the Guardian Media Group sold its regional newspapers and Manchester Evening News to Trinity Mirror in a £44.8 million deal. As the former GMG papers face relocation to Oldham, GMG Managing Editor Chris Elliott explains the “brutal” decision.
“The regionals were what held us together,” said Chris Elliott. “The Guardian was never what made us money.”
But then they began to make a loss and would continue to make a loss.”
The deal, due to be completed by the 28 March will see Trinity relocate the papers from their central Manchester home to the group’s Oldham offices.
Moving out of the community
This comes only a year after newspapers such as the Accrington Observer and Rossendale Free Press had their local offices closed and moved to the MEN headquarters at Scott Place, cutting them off from the local community in favour of slashing costs.Asked about the future these papers face, Chris Elliott said: “They stand a better chance with Trinity than with us or any other company.”
It was a very difficult and maybe a very brutal decision.”
"It may be difficult for a while, but their only chance is with another company.”
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