A regional publisher is to close all reception desks across a group of daily and weekly titles in a move which could see up to 15 jobs lost.
Reach plc has announced it plans to close receptions at the offices of the Leicester Mercury, Nottingham Post, Derby Telegraph, Stoke-on-Trent daily The Sentinel, Coventry Telegraph and Tamworth Herald.
Up to 15 full-time equivalent roles are set to be made redundant as part of the changes, which also affect support staff in Birmingham and Coventry, as well as Bristol and Blackmore Vale in the South-West of England.
In an announcement to staff, which has been seen by HTFP, Reach cited declining footfall in receptions as part of the rationale for the move.
The Derby Telegraph is among the titles affected
Other reasons cited in the memo included the need for savngs across the commercial division in 2019 and the reduction in support given to other functions as processes have become digitised.
As part of the changes, a new regional customer support function will be set up that will cover Reach titles in the Midlands, Bristol and Gloucestershire.
The announcement states: “Following a business review that has been undertaken across the commercial support functions, the business is proposing to create a regional customer support function that will cover the Midlands and BGSD.
“As part of the proposed restructure, public notices will be consolidated and the requirement for manned reception desks will be changing.
“The proposal will see a reduction in headcount of 15FTE, with the Reception locations in Leicester, Nottingham, Derby, Stoke, Tamworth and Coventry set to close.
“Support staff in Birmingham, Coventry, Bristol and Blackmore Vale will also be affected.”
Reach’s proposal comes after it was confirmed earlier this month that up to 41 roles could be made redundant as part of changes being made to its print production operation across England.
HTFP revealed that up to six roles are set to be lost at Reach’s seven Midlands dailies – the Birmingham Mail, Burton Mail, Coventry Telegraph, Derby Telegraph, Leicester Mercury, Nottingham Post and Stoke-on-Trent daily The Sentinel – amid plans to merge print production across the region into a single operation.
The company has since confirmed the same model is set to be introduced across the country – with potentially 41 jobs being put at risk as a result.
Reach has so far not responded to requests for comment on the reception desk proposal.
Sign up for our free daily email bulletin
Follow HTFP on Twitter
Got a story? Email the Editor at
Bad move. Happened at a local paper I worked for part-time after taking semi-retirement. result: People did not bother calling in with bits of news/gossip etc. Result: Front office re-opened after it was realised the “experiment” had failed after six months. Yet another example opt bosses at the top out of touch with reality on the street – all for the sake of what amounts to a few pounds in a multi-million pound business.
Report this comment
It may be just because it’s Monday – but my head hurts. Another move in the relentless drive to separate publications from their communities.
Report this comment
Digitalised processes? If anyone senior is interested enough, just take time to ask our commercial teams how difficult it is to process bookings. The model here is desperate cost cutting. Emails sent to the business described above are attempting to justify those cost saving initiatives – The Emperors New Clothes.
Report this comment
I always think whenever job losses are announced at this time of year,in the run up to Christmas and ahead of year end, it shows the true state of the business making the cuts.Finances so bad and prospects so bleak they choose the worst possible time to make good people redundant just to erase a few ££ off bottom line costs to make the god awful losses during the year look less dire.
it’s panic button and knee jerk time but it fools no one and the losses will continue to accrue.
Report this comment
Do people even walk into newspaper offices anymore with stories? Would be interesting to know.
Report this comment
I’m not surprised. A huge number of papers are marooned on trading estates anyway, and I’m afraid it’s a myth that a stream of members of the public pop in with stories. I remember that happening occasionally when I started 35 years ago, but that was in a high street location. If anything, the pain is that a lot of reception desks handle a fair bit of admin which then has to be shared around everyone else. Sign of the times, I’m afraid.
Report this comment
It looks like a vain attempt to make their papers seem hyperlocal, while clearly missing the point. Getting rid of a few more front-line staff isn’t going to make enough difference; neither is closing offices (Bath, Torquay). There are still too many chiefs, not to mention shareholders. I wouldn’t be surprised if journos in such areas set up real hyperlocal papers – with just as much news but minimal overheads – in opposition to their increasingly desperate former bosses. If you are already acting as reporter, sub, news editor, photographer (and receptionist) for peanuts, why not do it for yourself? (I am, of course, invoking the divine right of journalists by stating the bleedin’ obvious.)
Report this comment
How does Reach expect to reach its local communities when it slams the door in their face?
Report this comment
I remember when the Chester Chronicle left its city centre base to move to an out-of-town location – to the consternation and annoyance of the staff.
To much mirth, the company lackey swore blind that the move would increase footfall as it would be more convenient for people to drop by.
It wasn’t and they didn’t – and I think the front counter shut shortly after that.
Whatever Reach’s offiicial line is on any topic, it’s always about the bottom line.
Report this comment
Hitting people who won’t earn a fortune anyway at this time of year is unfeeling and a pretty disgusting thing to do.
Report this comment
@formerJourno: Yes, people do still visit a newspaper office – if it is in the centre of town. I went back to see “old” comrades at a local paper and during the one hour I was there several people came in with bits and pieces. But it has to be in the town not on some out of town office centre.
Report this comment
The amount of footfall to register/pay for an announcement of birth,deaths and marriages.or even to place a small ad (remember those ?)..is so small that sadly keeping a front counter is just a waste of money.
Report this comment
In one way, when our town centre office closed it was a blessing in some ways as it stopped people coming in to complain and bother us with trivial stuff that would never make a story. But in all seriousness, it also broke that link with the local community forever.
Report this comment
Wait until the ad revenues from lost classified and trade display af drops away as it will,then there’ll be a re-think.
I have seen this happen in the east where once an office moved off the high street to a site of low footfall and on a fast road with little parking causing ad revenues, classifieds and the casual copy sale to be negatively affected,resulting in alarm bells ringing and the offices to relocate back and reopen.
As far as potential story losses,to be fair there were so few people bringing stories in or asking to see reporters in the original office back then that there was little noticeable difference,nowadays there’ll be even less.
Short term end of year cost saving which is likely to bring longer term pain.
Report this comment
Already no reception at the Reach office on the eighth floor of an official block in central Birmingham. I had an appointment there earlier this year and on arrival spent seven or eight minutes in the corridor outside pressing buttons on an unlabelled intercom. Eventually someone inside spotted me loitering at the door and came to see what I wanted.
Regardless of how few casual visitors newspapers get these days, it’s hardly good business practice or good customer service for any kind of business to treat people like that. Someone, somehow needs to be responsible for answering the door, for goodness sake!
Report this comment
Local newspaper receptions used to be one of the hubs of the community – if you spent any time there people would use it almost like a local information centre which is what local papers were at the time.
When the internet was in it’s early days I warned the management that unless the business embraced it, developed it and used it to maintain that position then revenues from the Sits Vac and Property sectors especially would disappear.
No one listened and they continued to charge almost obscene rates for the Sits Vac ads and their golden egg was soon cooked.
Report this comment
We call all romanticise about the good old days when the papers high steeet office was a landmark building and when people queued to buy the evenings paper or to place adverts, those days have gone.
Let’s face it so few people visit a newspaper office that it actually makes sense, the way people access news and place adverts has changed from thvdays when the local rags office was a community hub, nowadays they’re soulless places with no real purposes in being open. You can’t halt progress and when it comes to year end book balancing, the non essentials are usually the first things to go
Report this comment
Truly desperate stuff…
Despite what’s said, where Reach does have city/town centre offices, the public DO come in with stories, photos, memory cards and money.
This is just Reach once again shooting themselves in the foot and further distancing themselves from paying customers… great business model!
The short-sighted, self-inflicted Reach Jenga of their local newspapers portfolio continues….
Report this comment
“regional customer support function”. Chills the blood doesn’t it?
Others have tried…
Report this comment