Daily Express Faces Cuts in Sports Coverage
The cuts will affect national and local publications, print and digital content, and production roles, with the NUJ warning that the changes will have a significant impact on the quality and diversity of sports coverage, and the company's ability to provide high-quality journalism to its readers.
Reach, the publisher of Daily Mirror, Daily Express, and regional titles, is planning to cut around 50 jobs as part of an overhaul of its sports coverage, aiming to reduce duplication and work more efficiently, but the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) claims 104 roles are at risk.
The company plans to create a single "vertical" sports hub that will serve all its regional and national brands, reducing the number of sports content editors from 27 to 16. Dedicated correspondents covering top football clubs will be halved, and some sports writers' roles are at risk. The changes aim to streamline the current setup, remove duplication, and provide quality journalism.
However, the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has expressed concerns about the impact on staff workload, morale, and localised coverage. The NUJ claims that the cuts will lead to less localised coverage and media diversity, resulting in a poorer product. The union also argues that AI cannot substitute for skilled journalists, and the potential increased reliance on AI tools will negatively impact the quality of journalism.
A 30-day consultation will begin next week, and Reach has announced that up to 50 jobs are set to be lost, with 11 additional roles potentially created in the new sports hub. The company's decision to cut jobs in its sports coverage has raised concerns about the future of journalism and the impact on local communities.