The National Union of Journalists has described more than 30 redundancies at Newsquest titles in London, the north-east and the Home Counties as a “massacre” and said the regional publisher appears to be “at war” with its staff.
The union says that among those whose jobs are at risk are nine weekly and daily production journalists and a graphic designer at the Northern Echo – also under threat are six jobs at the Gazette & Herald including the editor and deputy editor, and the editors of three titles in Bradford.
Newsquest wants to end its consultation on the redundancies by the end of May and impose the new regime from 1 June.
Redundancies, pay freezes and reorganisations across Newsquest’s US-based owner Gannett in recent years have soured relations between staff and management, and generated resentment among staff towards the publisher of USA Today and regional newspapers across 30 states in the US.
As well as the losses in the north-east, the NUJ says nine editorial posts, including two deputy group editor roles, are being scrapped as part of a reorganisation of 18 Newsquest titles in north London, Essex, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire under a single group editor Tim Jones. A further nine posts are said to be at risk from 22 May under plans to merge four newsdesks into one based based at the Watford Observer, though three new posts will be created.
NUJ Northern and Midlands organiser Chris Morley said: “The words used by our members following today’s announcements are ‘shell shocked’ and ‘job massacre’. After so many casualties and waves of cutbacks at Newsquest centres, it does seem that the company is at war with its staff. There may be jobs for some at Bradford, but who would trust the company enough to move home with the real risk the post will disappear in the near future?
“At a time when the company’s US bosses are wallowing in obscene, mega-handouts and patting themselves on the back, staff at their UK outpost have been hung out to dry.”
Gannett, which held its AGM on Wednesday, is in the midst of spinning off its newspaper publishing division from its more profitable TV business.
Morley added: “These potential job cuts came from nowhere and they take the company nowhere. I suspect this is just a sacrificial appetiser for the US moneymen on the day parent company Gannett announces its big demerger. Our members in the affected centres are devastated and once again morale has sunk to new levels. If this is supposed to be the bright new future under the new debt-free publishing business, it has got off to the worst possible start.”
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The NUJ has also drawn attention to a “cringe-inducing corporate video” featuring Gannett chief executive Gracia Martore and her executives singing The Lego Movie theme tune Everything is Awesome.
NUJ national organiser Laura Davison said: “It’s Gannett which is living in a dream if they think everything is awesome at Newsquest. Gannett’s rapacity has been driving deep cost cutting at the expense of Newsquest’s core asset, local journalists producing quality local journalism for their readers. It remains to be seen what the day-to-day impact of the demerger will be, but Gannett’s race to the bottom by downgrading jobs, sacking editorial staff, including subs and photographers, paying peanuts and hoping readers won’t notice the difference is totally unsustainable.
“NUJ members are asking Newsquest readers to back our Local News Matters campaign for a short sharp government inquiry into the local press to look at alternatives. Gannett may not care about sustaining quality local journalism but NUJ members who actually do the work, do.”
At the time of publishing Gannett had not responded to a request for comment.