The Northern Echo and Newsquest titles in Cumbria have joined forces to create a new investigations venture for their North of England publications.
They have recruited a new Investigations Editor to “lead and develop hard-hitting campaigns” across their titles.
Joanna Morris, a data specialist will take up the role in March, when she returns to Newsquest from the Press Association’s RADAR (Reports and Data and Robots) news service.
“Since the days of the great Harold Evans, The Northern Echo has a proud tradition of investigative reporting,” said The Northern Echo’s Group Editor, Karl Holbrook, who will soon join the Daily Express as Executive Editor.
“We are proud to keep this tradition alive today and I’m so excited to be able to get this new position over the line during my tenure. It’s been a long-held ambition to create a dedicated role like this and I couldn’t be happier that we are partnering with our fantastic titles in Cumbria to make it happen.
“Proper investigations are the lifeblood of a quality news operation – but they are too often the first thing to go when things get tough.
“Joanna is an excellent journalist who knows how to crunch data like a scientist, and crucially, how to bring that information to life with real, human interest and a social conscience.”
Morris will lead and project manage investigations across the North East and Cumbria. As well as conducting the investigations herself, she will also work and train other journalists.
“As a reporter, I’ve always been inspired by the campaigning and investigative spirit of my old paper The Northern Echo,” she said.
“It’s an honour to be given the opportunity to build upon that history by working with excellent reporters to tell in-depth stories about the issues that matter and make a difference to communities across the North-East and Cumbria.”
The newspapers include The Northern Echo, The Mail and News and Star, Cumberland News, Westmorland Gazette, Darlington and Stockton Times.
Vanessa Sims, Group Editor of Newsquest Cumbria added:
“Investigative reporting is in the DNA of our Cumbria journalists and newspapers. We are very proud to be joining forces with The Northern Echo and to deliver another level of analysis on the issues that matter most to our readers.
“We are very much looking forward to welcoming Joanna to the team and developing unique and exciting content readers will be unable to put down.”
