MEN Media Job Cuts

Concerning news with the announcement last week of 150 jobs cuts at MEN Media the company that produces the Manchester Evening News and a number of week titles across the North West including our own Glossop Advertiser.

Approximately a third of the staff that works in the weekly papers around Manchester stands likely to loose their jobs with all the majority of the area offices including the one in Ashton proposed to close.

An article ironically in today’s (Monday’s) Guardian highlights the potential problems to local news journalists that these new cuts and the cuts that have taken place so far can have. It also comments around the future of the industry with the difficulty in preparing people for the industry with so entry level or even more senior posts available.

I say ironically in the Guardian due to the various bits flagged on the internet that express a view that many of the problems with the Guardian Media Group of which MEN Media the owners of the Glossop Advertiser are a part of, are due to the many years where the more profitable regional titles have had to support the less profitable national titles.

As flagged above the local effect would see the local Ashton office closed with production moved to the central Manchester offices of the Evening News, not just meaning reduced local knowledge and service but also meaning that many of the local connections through things such as the toy and tin appeals at Christmas down to been able to call in see a local reporter would be lost.

I hope that the announcement by the bosses at MEN Media is not the end the end of the story and that support can be given to efforts by the national union of journalist to oppose these changes. I also hope that Early Day Motion 1044 in parliament that has been signed by a number of local MP’s will be joined by our own MP Tom Levitt and that real action will stem from it.