news
Reach plans to cut more than 190 editorial jobs
REACH, publisher of titles including the Mirror, Express, Star and many regional titles, has placed 420 jobs at risk of redundancy with the aim of cutting 192 editorial roles. It is the second swathe of
job losses from Reach after more than 80 jobs were cut following a consultation that ended only two weeks before this round was announced. The publisher is trying to
cut costs at the same time as it is establishing operations in the US for its national titles. The NUJ Reach chapel
passed a vote of no confidence in the company’s senior management after the latest planned cuts were announced. Laura Davison, NUJ national organiser, said: “Members and reps are
devastated and angry at the decision to cut such a huge number of jobs. In some cases, half of certain teams are going and, in others, people are not clear about the choices being made. “The uncertainty created
for everyone within the business and the impact on those who may be left behind is affecting everybody, whether they are at risk or not.
“For those who have just
spent recent months at risk and then thought their job was secure, to now be told their livelihood is once again at risk and that they are back in the same stressful place is horrendous. “The no confidence vote is
a reflection of the strength of feeling among journalists across the company, and how deeply worried they are about their job security and how the
National World pay push
NATIONAL WORLD, which publishes The Scotsman, the Yorkshire Post and Belfast’s News Letter among other titles, is being pressed for substantial pay rises after its full-year results for 2022 showing operating profits of above £9 million and a higher cash balance.
Its digital revenue growth rose by 26
per cent and it has invested in a social-first media company, in line with its push for digital income streams. David Montgomery, executive chairman, said National World’s strategy was to become a digital only
Ferret recognises NUJ chapel
THE NUJ has signed a recognition agreement with Scottish investigative journalist media cooperative The Ferret. Ferret co-chair Rachel Hamada and new father of the chapel Alastair Brian said they were delighted about the deal. Alastair said: “Our journalists promote transparency and hold power to
account, so it is important to be able to collectively support workers. The chapel believes the agreement offers a unique opportunity to ensure The Ferret’s innovative model, offering a greater role for readers and the wider community, can also ensure better conditions for its staff as well as stand up for the right to trade union membership and activism.” Rachel Hamada said: “The Ferret is a cooperative with journalists and readers on the board. We have a mission to ensure investigative journalism is resourced properly. We want The Ferret to be a great organisation to work with so we are delighted to recognise the Ferret chapel of the NUJ and welcome their support.”
company’s strategy affects them and their families.” In an email to staff, David
Higgerson, chief digital publisher, and Lloyd Embley, group editor in chief, said ‘tough decisions’ were needed because of business conditions. They said the publisher was
facing a “combination of unprecedented cost inflation, a challenged consumer economy and an industry-wide decline in open-market advertising yields”. They also referred to an ‘online attention recession’ and that Reach had to grow its digital audience. Reach’s full-year results for
last year show a fall in operating profit of 27.4 per cent to £106.1 million and a 2.3 per cent fall in revenue to £601.4 million. The company was hit by a sharp rise in newsprint costs, which accounted for £75.4 million in 2022 compared with £52.9 million in 2021.
business and to promote individual talent assisted by greater automation. Following consultation with members,
NUJ chapels submitted claims for minimum editorial pay rates similar to those agreed at Reach plc after action by NUJ members last September. Chapels are also seeking a minimum pay rise of 10 per cent for all editorial staff.
inbrief...
ISLAMIC STATE BOMB KILLS JOURNALISTS Two journalists were killed alongside another person at an event honouring journalists on Afghanistan’s National Journalists Day. The targeted bomb attack by the Islamic State in March in the Balkh province also injured 14 media workers.
CLOSER WORKING ON MAIL TITLES The Daily Mail and the Mail on Sunday are to be brought ‘much closer together’ and some employees will lose their jobs, staff have been told. Editor Ted Verity said in an email that there would be some reduction in jobs at the print titles. He said other staff may have their working pattern, duties or job titles changed.
OFCOM CHIEF GIVES MPS GB NEWS VIEW Dame Melanie Dawes, the chief executive of Ofcom, told MPs on a select committee that whether Tory MPs Esther McVey and Philip Davies should have been allowed to interview chancellor Jeremy Hunt for GB News ahead of the Spring Budget depended on whether the programme was a news or a discussion show.
‘Chilling’ bans on Rwanda trip
Katherine Viner, the Guardian’s
editor, spoke of a ‘chilling’ pattern of behaviour from the government after her newspaper
was barred from a trip to Rwanda with home secretary Suella Braverman. Alison Phillips,
the Mirror’s editor, said there would be ‘really damaging’ consequences from how media
places were allocated. The Guardian, Mirror, i and The Independent were all excluded from the trip
to Rwandan capital Kigali, which was intended to underline the UK’s commitment to its
migrant policy and for the home secretary to view facilities being prepared for asylum seekers.
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