Newsquest has appointed two new Acting Editors to lead its titles in Cumbria.
Joy Yates will be joining Newquest on 7th February as Acting Editor for North Cumbria. She takes over from current Regional Editor, Vanessa Sims, who has gone on maternity leave.
Yates will be leaving JPIMedia after previously having held roles as North East Editorial Director and Regional Director. In her new role, she will be responsible for the News & Star, the Cumberland News, Whitehaven News and Times & Star.
She said: “I’m delighted to be joining the North Cumbria team in this interim role. The brands are a hugely important part of the fabric of the communities they serve. I am really looking forward to working with the dedicated and talented teams behind the digital and print products in such a beautiful part of the country.”
Tom Murphy (pictured), the current Audience and Content Editor at Newsquest Cumbria, will become Acting Editor for South Cumbria. He will be responsible for The Mail, The Westmorland Gazette and The Hexham Courant.
He said: “I’m a born and bred Cumbrian and joined The Westmorland Gazette as a trainee reporter in 2013. It’s a real honour to be given the opportunity to hold the fort, alongside Joy, while Vanessa enjoys some much-deserved time off with her new bundles of joy.
“We have a very dedicated team in Cumbria from the reporters to the advertising reps and those who work hard behind the scenes to bring all of our great products to our readers. I’m looking forward to working with them all over the next six months.”
David Coates, Regional Managing Director of Newsquest (North) added: “It is great that Joy is coming to North Cumbria to cover Vanessa’s maternity leave. She joins the team at an exciting time as we’re about to move into our new office accommodation in the centre of Carlisle.
“I know that Joy is looking forward to working with Tom who is stepping up in South Cumbria to support the team there, and I’m sure they’re both going to shine in these Acting Editor roles.”
