Key facts
- Reach, publisher of the Mirror and Express, will cut 220 editorial jobs.
- The company is closing three online-only brands: KentLive, AberdeenLive, and GalwayBeo.
- Traffic from Google has declined 46% year-on-year.
- Google's AI Mode and AI Overviews are reducing the need for users to click through to websites.
- About 60 new editorial roles will be created to drive digital revenue growth.
- Reach aims to reach 75,000 paid digital subscribers by the end of its financial year.
Reach, the publisher of the Mirror and Express newspapers, is set to eliminate 220 editorial positions as it navigates a significant decline in online readership, attributing the shift to readers increasingly relying on AI-generated summaries and changes in search engine behavior. The company announced the decision on Wednesday, citing a "mammoth shift" in audience content consumption habits.
As part of this restructuring, Reach will close three of its online-only brands: KentLive, AberdeenLive, and GalwayBeo, stating they were not achieving dominant regional positions. Concurrently, approximately 60 new editorial roles will be established to bolster digital revenue streams, focusing on subscriptions and long-form video content. This strategic pivot aims to ensure the sustainability of its journalism by prioritizing original content and distinctive brands over sheer volume of stories.
Reach's chief content officer, David Higgerson, noted a 46% year-on-year decrease in traffic from Google, largely due to features like Google's AI Mode and AI Overviews, which reduce the necessity for users to visit publisher websites directly. Higgerson also pointed to the BBC's expanded local content as a factor impacting commercial publishers. The company is also shifting its focus from traditional page views to "active engaged time" as a key metric for audience engagement and is encouraging editors to tailor content to their specific brands to attract and convert more paying subscribers. Reach currently has 50,000 paid digital subscribers and aims to reach 75,000 by the end of the financial year. The company's share price has fallen 90% over the past five years.