Member Article

South East newspapers to print final editions resulting in 50 job losses

The Reading Post, Surrey Herald and Surrey Times are due to print their final editions following a decision to close seven local newspaper titles resulting in the loss of 50 jobs

According to the BBC, media giant Trinity Mirror announced last month that the titles become online-only.

The Wokingham and Bracknell Times, Harrow Observer, Woking Informer and getreading will print their final editions later this week.

The company said 12 new digital roles would be created.

Following the announcement, Simon Edgley, managing director of Trinity Mirror Southern, said: “Decisions that impact our staff are never easy to make but they are absolutely necessary if we are to continue our transformation into a modern multiplatform publishing operation.”

In Berkshire, about 17 editorial, three administrative and six commercial roles will be lost with 10 new digital editorial roles and two digital commercial roles will be created.

In Surrey and west London there will be a reduction of about 24 roles across the editorial and commercial departments.

Guardian assistant editor Michael White, who started his career at the Reading Post, told the BBC: “It’s a sad day today. I arrived at my first job when I was 21 in November 1966 and I stayed until 1970. Howard Green was the editor.

“I met my wife Pat Gordon there on the Reading Evening Post, Bill Smethurst, who went on to be editor of the Archers, John Harrison, who was killed working for the BBC, all sorts of people who came after me.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ellen Forster .