Around 30 jobs at the Press Association have been cut as part of a cost reduction programme at the company.

The news agency is currently consulting on nine redundancies while a number of staff, thought to be around 20, have already left through voluntary redundancy and natural wastage.

A PA spokeswoman said she was unable to confirm which types of jobs were under consultation but said the quality and breadth of editorial coverage would not be affected.

She said there had been a small reduction in the number of dedicated video journalists but PA remained committed to the development of its video services.

A statement said: “In common with most media companies we have been affected by recent structural and cyclical changes within the sector and we are taking sensible steps to ensure our businesses are operating as efficiently as possible while retaining the quality of our services.

“As part of a cost reduction programme, a number of staff have left the group through a combination of natural wastage and voluntary redundancy.

“We are also carrying out staff consultations with regard to a small number of possible compulsory redundancies. Around nine positions are currently under consultation out of a total workforce of 1,300.

“We are confident that the quality and breadth of our editorial coverage will be unaffected. With more than 200 journalists across the UK and Ireland, the agency’s wire service is well-resourced and, as our most recent survey confirmed, highly regarded by our customers.”

“We also remain fully committed to the continuing development of our video services. Although there has been a small reduction in the number of dedicated video journalists, in line with our long-term strategy we are continuing to equip our reporters and photographers with the skills and technology to file video where appropriate, in addition to text and photos.”

Comments

F. Johnston (22/07/2010 10:48:23)
Still recruiting for the production sweatshop though (see jobs).

Norther Snapper (22/07/2010 11:11:48)
“we are continuing to equip our reporters and photographers with the skills and technology to file video where appropriate”…
That will mean giving them a camcorder then.

Reporter (22/07/2010 11:32:25)
To say editorial quality won’t suffer isn’t much of a reassurance as PA standards have dropped significantly in recent years. Regional offices (and even newsdesk) are often staff by trainees with little experience. The well-paid and experienced are likely to be those hit by the redundancies meaning are national press agency will be increasingly staffed by kids with video skills but little journalistic nouse.

A real journalist (22/07/2010 15:01:03)
Great news for regional titles.

Scots freelance (23/07/2010 10:41:43)
When PA are providing feeds to websites charged out at less than £3 per story are we really surprised that the only way they fact it pay is by cheap labour? It’s now impossible for freelances or small agencies to survive considering companies like this and some imitators are putting such a low price on what they supply. PA have long forgotten their roots at their standards have dropped lower than ever before. I know a number of trainees who work there and they can’t wait to get out. Morale is rock bottom and all the fancy spin won’t hide it.

Jack Thompson (23/07/2010 10:44:09)
PA have made a big noise about being the official press agency of London 2012 and then they go about cutting all their sports staff. Surely shome mistake?
http://www.sportsjournalists.co.uk/blog/?p=2661

Dan Depan (26/07/2010 11:02:27)
Surprise, surprise the company now run by the man who brought Johnson Press to its knees has no answer than to sack the workers and keep the management.

ex journo (26/07/2010 17:07:20)
Providing a written reporter with a video camera and one days training does not make them a multimedia journalist. Equally sending one reporter to produce photos, written copy and video makes a mockery of PA and guarantees that mistakes will be made. When will there be a loss of “natural wastage” from the management?

Biter (28/07/2010 15:47:48)
Let’s be honest, PA has never been much good really.