Daily Mail announces redundancy plans as print readership declines

theguardian.com:

The Daily Mail has announced plans to make some of its journalists’ jobs redundant, as the newspaper struggles with declining print readership and the increased cost of paper.

The newspaper’s editor, Ted Verity, said his plan would lead to staff working across the print Daily Mail, its sister title the Mail on Sunday and MailOnline.

Until very recently the three outlets have had distinct identities with different teams and little sharing of resources. In many cases journalists from the different outlets would be competing against each other for stories, despite all working for the same parent company.

Staff at the Mail on Sunday are expecting to bear most of the job losses. Verity said the weekend newspaper would retain its “distinct characters, columnists and senior staff” but hinted that more junior roles are at risk.

He told staff: “We need to be nimble, open to new ideas and we need to make sure our newsroom is structured in a way that allows us the greatest possible collaboration across titles and platforms.

“So the next phase of this process will involve bringing the Daily Mail and the Mail on Sunday much closer together.

“This kind of collaboration – with everyone working together for the same goal of getting our stories read by as many people worldwide as possible, in whatever form they choose – is the key to the future.

“This is critical because there’s no question that the opportunities for future growth now are digital.”

The Daily Mail still lays claim to be the biggest selling print newspaper in the UK, selling an average of 797,704 copies a day in the latest official figures – although this is down 12% on the same time last year.

Verity said the increased cost of newsprint is causing difficulties for the entire