The Daily Mail has announced plans to make some of its journalists’ jobs redundant, as the newspaper struggles with declining print readership and the increased cost of paper.
The newspaper’s editor, Ted Verity, said his plan would lead to staff working across the print Daily Mail, its sister title the Mail on Sunday and MailOnline.
Until very recently the three outlets have had distinct identities with different teams and little sharing of resources. In many cases journalists from the different outlets would be competing against each other for stories, despite all working for the same parent company.
Staff at the Mail on Sunday are expecting to bear most of the job losses. Verity said the weekend newspaper would retain its “distinct characters, columnists and senior staff” but hinted that more junior roles are at risk.
He told staff: “We need to be nimble, open to new ideas and we need to make sure our newsroom is structured in a way that allows us the greatest possible collaboration across titles and platforms.
“So the next phase of this process will involve bringing the Daily Mail and the Mail on Sunday much closer together.
“This kind of collaboration – with everyone working together for the same goal of getting our stories read by as many people worldwide as possible, in whatever form they choose – is the key to the future.
“This is critical because there’s no question that the opportunities for future growth now are digital.”
The Daily Mail still lays claim to be the biggest selling print newspaper in the UK, selling an average of 797,704 copies a day in the latest official figures – although this is down 12% on the same time last year.
Verity said the increased cost of newsprint is causing difficulties for the entire newspaper industry, which has been hit by substantial increases in the cost of the paper that newspapers are printed on.
The impact is much more financially damaging for outlets that retain substantial print readerships, such as the Daily Mail. As a result in recent years the outlet has been trying to push readers towards its Mail+ subscription product.
The newspapers’ parent company, Daily Mail & General Trust, was taken private by its controlling shareholder, Lord Rothermere, in 2022 and is now entirely owned by an off-shore family trust.
The newspaper group is also facing the costs of legal cases from notable individuals including Prince Harry, Elton John and Doreen Lawrence over allegations of illegal reporting tactics.
Lawyers acting for the Mail’s parent company have so far managed to avoid the claims being reported in open court, although a hearing on the cases is due at the end of March.
