Dion Jones has been named audience and content editor of NorthWalesLive, publisher Reach has announced as part of the company’s restructure.
Dion (pictured above) will take charge of NorthWalesLive and the Daily Post following the departure of Post editor Andrew Campbell earlier this month.
Dion, a Welsh speaker, joined the Caernarfon and Denbigh Herald in 2009 and has worked at Reach ever since in a variety of different roles across the business, including content editor at the Daily Post and executive editor for NorthWalesLive.
The Daily Post won Scoop of the Year at the Regional Press Awards earlier this year.
Dion will report to Alison Gow, audience and content director for North West and North Wales and former editor of the Daily Post.
Alison said: “I’m delighted Dion will be leading the North Wales newsroom. He is a fantastic journalist, and someone who is utterly committed to North Wales Live and has worked on both the North Wales Weeklies and the Daily Post, as well as helping lead many group-wide editorial projects.”
Reach also announced the appointment of Paul Coates as head of print for the North West.
Paul will take responsibility for the regional production team publishing the Liverpool Echo, Manchester Evening News and Huddersfield Examiner, as well as weekly titles including the Chester Chronicle, Southport Visiter, Macclesfield Express, Rochdale Observer and Rossendale Free Press.
Paul has more than 30 years of print production experience and has held senior editorial roles at the Manchester Evening News for many years, including managing editor and print editor. In his new role, he will continue to report to the region’s marketplace publisher, Darren Thwaites.
Paul said: “I’m delighted and honoured to be leading the team producing such iconic titles as the MEN and the Echo, along with their well-respected sister weekly titles across Greater Manchester. Merseyside and Cheshire. The North West print production team have all the strengths and talents to make sure all the papers can meet the challenges ahead and keep our well-loved titles up where they belong.”
The appointments follow a series of structural changes within Reach after the company announced plans to cut editorial roles due to the coronavirus crisis.
Picture thanks to Behind Local News.
