'Whoops of joy' from Daily Mirror editorial team as Sly Bailey resigns, claims Greenslade
The resignation of Sly Bailey as chief executive of Trinity Mirror was ‘greeted with a spontaneous whoop of joy’ at The Daily Mirror, claims columnist for The Guardian Roy Greenslade.
In his column today, Greenslade said ‘good riddance’ to Bailey, who announced her resignation yesterday after 10 years at the helm of the publisher yesterday.
He added that he expected that similar scenes of joy were seen within other newsrooms owned by the company, including that of the Daily Record in Glasgow.
“Bailey's 10-year reign has been unpopular among journalists almost from its beginning. In recent years, after continual rounds of cutbacks, the editorial mood has darkened. A couple of tweets last night said ‘good riddance,’ he continued.
“Not that Bailey appeared to care. She was a numbers person, interested only in the bottom line.
“As far as she was concerned, the only way to save the company was to cut, cut and cut again.”
Greenslade went on to claim that as the number of editorial staff was cut, so was the quality of the newspapers, which hurt sales and reduced revenue further, resulting in more cuts.
“Bailey never got to grips with the central contradiction of the company she inherited. There is no synergy between national newspapers and regional/local newspapers,” he added.
Greenslade also stated that he felt that the Mirror required ‘an owner’ who was passionate about the newspaper.
“It must be a person who understands its mission and who is therefore willing to give its editorial staff consistent support.
“That person must react quickly to developments in the market-place and not allow competitors, such as Rupert Murdoch, Richard Desmond and Lord Rothermere, to enjoy a free ride.
“A flagship national title needs constant attention. In truth, it needs love. Historically, that was the Mirror's strength, even under that most mercurial and monstrous of publishers, Robert Maxwell," he continued.