Busier than the transfer window: Manchester journalists move to Business Desk
The news space is suddenly becoming more crowded in Manchester with Crain’s Manchester Business, The Business Desk and Nxt Book. And there is now City AM, due to join us in 2009.
My initial reaction: Is there the advertising revenue to secure the future of all these new ventures, especially when a recession is on the way / has arrived?
(Don’t get me wrong, I am pleased they are all here. I spent 4 or 5 entries in the past 18 months lamenting the demise of NW business magazines: YE, Talking Business North Manchester, Business Connections, NW Enquirer all disappearing. I take note the new titles are completely or very much Internet based and these are print essentially).
So when Business Desk recruited Chris Barry, the business editor, at the MEN joined them I have to say I was surprised. Is that not a risky move? In turbulent times moving from an established newspaper to a new publication is brave.
Now Joanne Birtwhistle, of NW Business Insider fame, has moved from Crain’s.
Crain’s has a strong editorial team and the MEN has an experienced hand in Kevin Feddy, so things move on.
The new appointments give Business Desk a strong team (and former MEN business editor Sheryl Moore is working with Business Desk and the MEN). It gives The Business Desk instant credibility on this side of The Pennines.
All these new appointees are seasoned journalists, so I trust their judgement. But the question still remains: How will Business Desk finance itself and survive in this downturn?