Moving On
A former regional daily editor who later moved into journalism training has joined a communications agency – teaming up with another ex- editor in the process.
Richard Bowyer edited Stoke-on-Trent daily The Sentinel before becoming a senior lecturer in journalism at the University of Derby in 2014. After leaving the university in October 2023, he is now joining Loughborough-based corporate comms agency 1284, linking up with another former daily news chief, George Oliver.
George was editor of the Leicester Mercury from 2016 to 2020 before going on to set up 1284, which has just received the Silver Award in the Small PR Consultancy of the Year category at the Chartered Institute of Public Relations Midlands Pride Awards, held in Birmingham.
Richard joins 1284 in a part-time role as content editor and will support with print page design, editing, and B2B content for 1284’s small business and local authority clients. Also on the team is Amy Orton, who spent 15 years as a journalist for various East Midlands news titles and a spell as an NHS comms manager.
George said: “Richard brings further experience and business knowledge to the benefit of 1284 clients. His arrival maintains our policy of recruiting highly experienced professionals, bringing significant understanding of the media and comms industries, as well as deep Midlands networks.”
Starting his career at the Coalville and Ashby Times, Richard also worked on the Peterborough Telegraph, Wolverhampton Express & Star, Derby Telegraph, and Lincolnshire Echo where he was deputy editor. In his role at the University of Derby he helped set up the only football journalism degree course in the country, and the university’s Magazine Journalism course.
Meanwhile, a Birmingham-based reporter has announced his departure from a city website to take up a new position with the local BBC news programme on his patch. Josh Sandiford (pictured) is joining BBC Midlands Today after spending two years with the Birmingham Mail and its associated website Birmingham Live.
Shortlisted for Young Journalist of the Year at the Regional Press Awards in 2022, Josh was also recognised in the Young Journalist of the Year (Regional) category at the Media Freedom Awards in September.
He said: “I’m so grateful for the opportunities and training I’ve been given over the past two and a bit years – it’s been a privilege to learn from such incredible colleagues.”
Megan Howe, who started out as a community news reporter just two years ago has landed a job with one of the leading national newspaper websites. She joined the Shropshire Star under the Meta-funded programme in 2021 and has now been snapped up by the Daily Mail’s associated website, Mail Online.
The switch comes after she was honoured by the National Council for the Training of Journalists for her excellent National Qualification in Journalism exam results – achieving 80pc in the community journalism version of the practical journalism skills exam.
A regional journalist whose role was under threat as a result of the cutbacks at Reach plc has decided to take voluntary redundancy for the sake of his mental health. Leicester Mercury reporter Corey Bedford, who is also father of the paper’s NUJ Chapel, says Reach bosses have told him his job is at risk for the third time in the space of a year.
Now he has announced that in order to safeguard his mental health he has reluctantly taken the decision to ‘call it a day’ in regional journalism.
The publisher announced earlier this month that it was shedding 450 roles across the business – including 320 editorial posts. It follows the loss of 102 editorial roles in January and a further 192 roles in March. As FoC, Corey has represented reporters caught up in all three redundancy consultations and seen first-hand the impact the cuts have had on both the journalists and the titles they work for.
