06 Informed


News Update


Cash-rich Reach makes ‘bombshell’ cuts


of no confidence in the management by NUJ members in Wales. Originally, 90 journalists in Wales


Welsh press hit by damaging job losses


Reach executives were subjected to blistering comments by members of the Senedd’s Culture, Welsh Language and Communications Commitee, concerned the newspaper group’s job cuts would undermine reporting of Welsh news. Reach’s Alan Edmunds, its chief


operating officer, and Paul Rowland, editor-in-chief of Media Wales, together with the NUJ’s Pamela Morton, Wales national organiser, and Martin Shipton, chair of the Reach group chapel, were summoned to the cross-party commitee following the announcement of 580 job losses across the company and a vote


were told their jobs were at risk. Martin Shipton said this came as a bombshell to members who had been told by Jim Mullen, Reach CEO, the company had £20m in reserves. Paul Rowland said he expected 20-21 Welsh jobs would go. Members were further angered when Reach, which already owns a 50 per cent take in the Irish Daily Star, revealed it was buying the remaining 50 per cent stake in the newspaper. Te Reach executives were told that the politics stories on WalesOnline were old, the Celtic Weekly newspapers in south Wales had been so hollowed out there was hardly any local news and the Members of the Senedd feared the Cardiff-based Western Mail would struggle to provide a proper Welsh voice because of the cuts.


Alan Edmunds said the plans resulted


from structural problems in the industry and that at the height of the pandemic 80 per cent of local advertising had disappeared. Te new arrangements


would create more efficiency; copy sharing across the group would compensate for the job cuts. Martin Shipton said the losses came just as the Senedd’s responsibilities were increasing – its different response to Covid-19 to the rest of the UK illustrated this. He said Reach continued its digital expansion despite 84 per cent revenue coming from print, while Google and Facebook hoovered up most of the online advertising. Te commitee followed the session with a leter to Reach’s Jim Mullen, saying the cuts would harm Welsh democracy. Reach furloughed up to 1,200 staff


across the UK at the height of the pandemic and cut wages by 10 per cent. Eleven chapels challenged the pay reduction. Full pay was restored in July and the union may go to a tribunal to recover the lost pay. Te consultation on the redundancies continues. Meanwhile, Newsquest announced about 60 redundancies and a 15 per cent pay cut for those earning more than £18,000; it failed to top up the government’s 80 per cent wage support for the one in five workers on furlough. JPI Media imposed 10 per cent pay cuts on earnings over £18,000 and more than 60 journalists were put on furlough. It says it is not presently making any redundancies but has closed 11 offices.


Evening Standard cull London’s Evening Standard, owned by Russian billionaire Evgeny Lebedev, is to shed 69 editorial jobs from its 167-member newsroom. Emily Sheffield, the new editor, is to move the newspaper in a digital direction and put on more live events. According to the FT, the Standard’s problems predate the pandemic, when commuter readers


disappeared, saying it made losses of £13.6m in the year to September 2019 on turnover of £62.6m.


PR workers stressed More than three-quarters of PR members have worked longer than usual hours during the pandemic, with almost four in five feeling more stressed. Two-thirds revealed, in a survey carried out by the


NUJ’s public relations and communications council, that they had suffered abuse or had to deal with abuse because of their employer’s work during the pandemic. Most employers ensured people had the right kit for working at home, but a third said they did not.


George Viner Fund Tree new George Viner scholars have been chosen


and will receive bursaries towards their course costs. Fund trustee Jim Boumelha praised the high calibre of candidates, saying it had been challenging to select the winners. Te previous candidates’ awards ceremony was postponed and a joint event is planned. Te union’s charity aims to increase diversity in the British and Irish media.


keith morris / Alamy Stock Photo


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