Reach to cut 200 jobs as publisher faces ‘unavoidable headwinds’

Reach, which publishes newspapers Daily Mirror and Daily Express, will cut around 200 jobs with consultations starting immediately.

The publisher shared its job cutting intentions alongside a trading update which highlighted the problems being faced by the company. In the three months to 25 December 2022, digital revenue dropped by 5.9 per cent, while print advertising fell 20.2 per cent.

“Near-term, economic conditions remain uncertain, creating unavoidable headwinds for the whole sector, with advertising weakness and prolonged cost inflation. The business has however established a consistent track record of disciplined cost control and efficiency savings,” the company said.

Reach is now looking to undertake a cost-saving mission in 2023 to save at least £30m. “This early action will allow us to protect our organisation and ensure we continue to deliver on our Customer Value Strategy,” a spokesperson said.

“We will continue to review all aspects of our ongoing strategic transformation to ensure we are well placed to benefit once industry trends return to more normalised levels of activity.”

The impact on marketing roles amid the job cuts is not yet known, as the National Union of Journalists says more than half of the jobs being cut will be editorial roles.

Andrew Tenzer, former director of market insight and brand strategy at Reach, departed the company at the end of 2022 after six years.