Editorial appointments at INM Regionals and People Newspapers
NEW senior editorial appointments have been announced at INM Regionals and People Newspapers in Wexford.
Jim Hayes has been appointed INM Regionals Group Editor. Darragh Clifford has taken up duty as People Newspapers Group Editor while Emma Stafford has been appointed Deputy Group Editor at People Newspapers.
In his new role, Jim Hayes will have overall editorial responsibility for Independent News & Media’s 12 regional newspapers and one magazine, including publications at People Newspapers in Wexford and Wicklow, the Kerryman and Corkman, Sligo Champion and the Drogheda Independent group.
A native of Wexford town, Mr Hayes joined People Newspapers as a writer and sub editor in 1984. He was appointed Group Editor in 2013. He lives in Wexford with his wife Máire. They have three sons, Raymond, Christopher and Darragh.
Mr Hayes said he is looking forward to his new role ‘working alongside dynamic editorial teams at some of the leading Irish local newspaper brands and meeting the challenges of a digital age.
‘At INM Regionals we believe in our journalists and in our journalism. That’s the cornerstone of our successful print business and it will be the driving force behind exciting online developments in the months and years ahead.’
Darragh Clifford qualified with an honours degree in Journalism through Dublin Institute of Technology in 2004. He first began working with People Newspapers in 2008 as a sub editor before moving to Dublin, where he worked as a sub editor on the sports section of the Irish Independent and Sunday Independent with the company RealTime Editing and Design. He also worked as a sub editor with the Sunday Tribune.
In 2010 he returned to People Newspapers as a sub editor, working across various titles in the INM Regionals group. In 2014 he was appointed Commissioning Editor for People Newspapers, a position he held until 2018, when he was appointed Deputy Group Editor.
Darragh is originally from Enniscorthy, and lives in Ballindaggin with his wife Eva, a primary school teacher, and two children, Conor and Holly.
‘It is an absolute honour to be appointed Group Editor of People Newspapers,’ said Darragh. ‘We have a proud tradition of delivering high-quality local journalism across Wexford and Wicklow and I am relishing the opportunity to continue this through our print and digital offerings.’
Emma Stafford first joined People Newspapers in 2006 and has been the Commissioning Editor for the Wicklow People and Bray People for the past five years. A native of the Saltmills area, Emma grew up near Kilmore Quay. She attended Kilmore NS, Bridgetown VC and UL before achieving a Masters in Journalism at DCU.