GMG Regional Media announces cuts in Surrey and Berkshire
The regional group informs staff of newspaper decisions
– 1 min read
This article was migrated from an old version of our website in 2025. As a result, it might have some low-quality images or non-functioning links - if there's any issues you'd like to see fixed, get in touch with us at info@journalism.co.uk.
Surrey and Berkshire Media , part of GMG Regional Media, is to cut 95 jobs, including 35 journalists' positions.
Offices in Aldershot, Esher and Wokingham - four in total - will be closed and production of the group's titles will be centralised in Guildford and Reading at the group's main titles, the Surrey Advertiser and the Reading Evening Post.
Two paid-for weekly titles, the Esher News and Mail and the Aldershot Mail, will be closed. The Reading Evening Post to be cut from five nights a week to two.
GMG Regional Media also said that there will be increased remote working to support the new changes. Additionally, fewer copies of the free weekly titles will be distributed, and shifts at the print plant will be reduced from three to two.
Referring to the statement made in regards to yesterday's announcement that 78 journalists will lose their jobs at the Manchester Evening News and the Greater Manchester weekly titles, GMG Regional Media said that the changes bring a 'revamped advertising sales operation with greater focus on growing new business and selling multimedia solutions.'
There will be 'better targeted advertising sales strategies, with improved use of customer data,' GMG Regional Media said, in a release.
"It is deeply worrying that in Reading the commitment to local news is being cut from a full week of papers to two days a week," said Barry Fitzpatrick, head of publishing at the National Union of Journalists (NUJ).
"The news hasn't stopped happening and the job cuts are unnecessary. Local people will be denied the information they need to keep the community together and scrutinise the local authorities.
"Instead of supporting the communities the company claims to serve it is hitting the economy with job cuts. Once again journalists are paying the price for the short sighted policies of newspaper managements," Fitzpatrick said.
