NUJ urges Reach to invest in its journalists at 2026 AGM
The union attended Reach plc’s Annual General Meeting yesterday (6 May) and urged shareholders to support investment in quality journalism and oppose further cuts, warning that the company’s digital strategy depends on a properly resourced workforce.
In a letter handed to shareholders, the NUJ Reach group chapel highlighted the challenges facing journalism and digital publishing, where “big US tech companies [...] have sucked out the advertising spend, leaving digital income in pennies against the pounds” generated by print.
The NUJ Reach group chapel’s letter stated:
“Last year saw more than 300 skilled and hard-working journalists made redundant from Reach plc to hack out cost in the face of continuing declining revenues. This meant bigger workloads for those remaining - and less scope to create the content which is most likely to win new subscribers.
“It would be foolish and foolhardy to believe that AI can be the saviour. It should only ever be a useful tool to enable journalists to do their best work.
“The NUJ hopes that you, as shareholders, will recognise that further cuts to diminishing numbers of Reach editorial workers will be counterproductive.”
During the meeting, the NUJ raised concerns over painful recent redundancies to newsrooms and print sites, asking the board: “how much of the 5-6% costs earmarked for this year is likely to come from the redundancies of journalists?”
Piers North, Reach chief executive officer, responded by saying the board is “managing our cost-base appropriately” and “we will always continue to look at our cost base, and our people are our biggest cost.” Earlier in the meeting, North had thanked staff across Reach for "serving communities with real dedication and skill."
The union highlighted the closure of two of Reach’s three print sites this year, asking how long the board thinks the company will still be producing newspapers at scale and what criteria will be used to judge the sustainability of current titles.
North acknowledged that there is still an audience for print and said the company would “continue to service that audience as best we can.”
Darren Fisher, Reach chief financial officer, told shareholders the sites “weren’t being fully utilised anymore.”
Print and advertising make up three quarters of Reach’s revenue.
The NUJ also welcomed the introduction of digital subscriptions, saying it could “wrest online income back to the company’s coffers.” However, the union stressed that Reach’s success relies on the “brilliant, quality and creative journalism” produced by supported and valued staff, and that further reductions in editorial staff would be counterproductive.
TO REACH plc SHAREHOLDERS FROM THE NATIONAL UNION OF JOURNALISTS
AGM 2026 Dear Shareholder
As in many previous years, we welcome you as you attend this year’s AGM.
The challenges facing journalism in the UK – and around the world – have never been greater. We all need strong media businesses to allow journalists to thrive as a crucial part of our democracy and way of life.
The rise of digital publishing has brought vast audiences for Reach, but it has also outsourced control of the business in key ways to the big UK tech companies. They have sucked out the advertising spend for themselves leaving digital income in pennies against the pounds that Reach enjoys with its newspapers.
The NUJ therefore welcomed the initiative of incoming CEO Piers North to pursue the rapid introduction of digital subscriptions. We believe that as a business proposition, this will in part wrest online income back to the company’s coffers and away from the likes of Google and Facebook.
But to be a success, the company needs continued brilliant, quality and creative journalism that can capture and inspire readers. For this it needs to ensure that its journalists are confident, feel supported and valued and have the space to produce their best work.
Last year saw more than 300 skilled and hard-working journalists made redundant from Reach plc to hack out cost in the face of continuing declining revenues. This meant bigger workloads for those remaining - and less scope to create the content which is most likely to win new subscribers.
It would be foolish and foolhardy to believe that AI can be the saviour. It should only ever be a useful tool to enable journalists to do their best work.
The NUJ hopes that you, as shareholders, will recognise that further cuts to diminishing numbers of Reach editorial workers will be counterproductive.
As a Union, we asked senior management to put a moratorium this year on further mass job losses - but they refused. We hope you as investors will share our concern that the new business case for digital subscriptions will be hobbled if more cuts come in 2026.
If you think so, perhaps you can speak to directors today about your concerns?
Thank you and, as ever, good wishes!
NUJ Reach Group Chapel