Jobs to go at Telegraph

LONDON: Britain’s Telegraph Media Group, the publisher of the Daily and Sunday Telegraph broadsheets, is cutting jobs by outsourcing more of its subediting and page production to a third party agency.

The group, which has been owned by British businessmen David and Frederick Barclay since 2004, said on Tuesday that the domestic news agency the Press Association would produce some of the broadsheets’ print pages in northern England.

“This will result in some roles at the Telegraph’s offices in London being carried out at a dedicated Telegraph production unit at the PA’s offices in Howden, Yorkshire,” a Telegraph spokeswoman said in a statement.

Sources at the company said the number of roles on its subediting desk would be cut by about 20, leaving a small team in London.

British newspapers are suffering from a drop in circulation and a slump in advertising demand as more marketing spend goes to internet groups like Facebook and Google.

The Guardian broadsheet told its staff recently to expect more job losses this year as “trading conditions remain tough”.

Telegraph Media said, however, that it would invest a further £500,000 into its premium digital content, which it has put behind a pay wall.

The group said it would create 12 new journalist roles to produce more content in politics, sport, and video and audio output.