50 journalism jobs under threat at Trinity Mirror Midlands
Fifty editorial jobs are under threat at Trinity Mirror Midlands reports claim.
According to Press Gazette, a restructure will see the creation of a regional production hub for both Birmingham and Coventry; the introduction of a regional features unit for entertainment and lifestyle; and the merging of some specialist reporter roles.
The restructure will see three free weekly titles will close - the Chase Post, the Stafford Post and the Sutton News, with the loss of 50 jobs, although the company said that in order to make the restructure effective it will be recruiting five full-time editorial roles.
A further 11 jobs in advertising are also earmarked for redundancy.
According to the NUJ, says Press Gazette, Trinity Mirror Midlands, which has a portfolio of around 50 papers including the Birmingham Post and the Birmingham Mail, made a £7m loss in 2009 but in the 2010 financial year this was turned around to a £3.2m operating profit.
“The union now wants to know ‘what went so horribly wrong’ in the intervening months.
This is the third jobs cut at Trinity’s Midlands’s base in the last three years, according to the NUJ, which said 65 editorial jobs went in 2008 and 45 in 2009.
In a statement Trinity said the restructure was made “in order to ensure a sustainable future for their newspapers and websites”.