Staff face layoffs as Reach restructures

According to reports, some 20 staff members of national newspaper are facing layoffs at Reach as the newsgroup continues to restructure its operations. The proposals affect staff working on the group’s national titles within the supplements, celebrity magazines, sport and fashion departments.

The move comes after the newsgroup acquired OK!, New! and Star magazines as part of its £127m deal with Richard Desmond last year, including buying out the Express and Star. Since then, Reach has closed Star magazine in order to prevent “duplication of effort.” This led to more than 80 staff members being made redundant.

A Reach spokesperson said: “As we continue to integrate our national teams, some areas, such as fashion and sport, have lent them to a more centralized and streamlined structure. Consultations are still ongoing, but this restructuring process will affect approximately 20 members of staff across the national titles and supplements. These are not easy decisions for anyone, but ultimately will reduce doubling up on work and allow us to better focus our efforts on the big stories.”

A message to staff announcing the proposals from group editor-in-chief Lloyd Embley, seen by Press Gazette, said: “You are all too well aware of the continued pressures on the business and the wider industry. These challenges mean that we need to keep looking at ways to manage our costs, while also protecting the quality of our journalism.”

He added: “We recognize that these processes are never easy and we hope to make it as smooth as possible for those involved.”