THE publisher of the Daily Record, Reach PLC, has announced hundreds of redundancies, with 450 jobs set to be lost across the business.
Staff arrived at work this morning to receive the news with chief executive Jim Mullen explaining the company would be announcing major changes “to the way we operate, the way we’re structured, and the way we’re meeting the challenges facing our industry”.
Mullen said: “Our industry has a history of change and the future will undoubtedly involve yet more.
“That’s why it’s essential we set ourselves up to win, by making our operations suited to an increasingly fast-paced, competitive and customer-focused digital world.
“Hard work over the last few years means we have established ourselves as a leading digital publisher. But there’s more to do and today is about organising our business to deliver against that challenge.”
It is understood that of the 450 jobs to go, 320 of these will come from editorial.
In a message sent to staff this morning, the chief executive added: “The changes will help sustain our print products while enabling us to pursue a greater digital audience.
“The world of news production and consumption continues to change. As customers’ habits evolve rapidly, so must we, to make sure our brands and our content remain influential and impactful.
“What will not change is our commitment to quality journalism. The challenge now is to ensure that it continues to get seen, gets noticed, engages and makes a difference.
"Hard work over the last few years means we have established ourselves as a leading digital publisher. We understand much more about our audience, allowing us to drive better customer value.
"We've developed our online products and grown new audiences, including through our successful expansion into the US."
Reacting to the news, the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) expressed its dismay at the job cuts.
NUJ national organiser Laura Davison said: “Today’s announcement comes as yet another blow to Reach journalists who have adapted at pace to company demands.
“Members will be understandably shocked at the scale of redundancies, particularly with previous rounds already withstood in recent months and in the run up to Christmas.
“Reach’s efforts to address economic challenges must not come at the expense of journalists who fear for their job security and the impact of quality journalism only able to thrive with the experience and talent of staff.
“We will be liaising with both our reps and the company to ensure the best possible outcomes for members at this immensely difficult time.
“Reach must act in the spirit of genuine and meaningful engagement, allowing for a flexible and transparent consultation process that dedicated journalists deserve.”
The union added that Reach management have committed to keep compulsory redundancies to a minimum.
