Reach, the publisher of the Daily Mirror and Daily Express, announced on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, that it is cutting 220 editorial roles as part of a cost-reduction overhaul. The company also confirmed the closure of three digital titles: KentLive, AberdeenLive, and GalwayBeo. While cutting these positions, the publisher stated it plans to create 60 new roles focused on subscriptions and long-form video.
The move follows a period of financial decline for the media group, which also publishes the Daily Star, OK! Magazine, and several regional outlets like the Manchester Evening News and Liverpool Echo. In a trading update for the first half of 2026, Reach reported a 9% drop in sales and a 40% decrease in page views. Chief content officer David Higgerson attributed the changes to a decline in referral traffic from Google searches and increased competition from the BBC in regional markets.
In an internal memo, Higgerson stated that the industry faces significant challenges that require the company to become a smaller editorial organization by next year. In addition to the editorial cuts, approximately 65 roles will be removed from the company's commercial division, which currently employs about 500 people. The publisher has initiated a minimum 45-day consultation period with the affected staff members across its print, digital, and video operations.
For readers of KentLive, AberdeenLive, and GalwayBeo, the decision means the closure of these specific local news sources as the company exits those market positions. On a broader scale, the shift indicates a change in how news is delivered and funded. Reach is moving away from a business model dependent on story volume and search engine traffic toward one centered on "active engaged time." This transition reflects a 40% plunge in page views earlier this year.
The knock-on effects involve a strategic pivot toward digital subscriptions and video content, as the company seeks what chief executive Piers North called "greater independence from referral traffic." This prioritizes original journalism and "distinctive brands" over the volume of stories produced. What happens next is the 45-day consultation period for staff, while the company aims to implement "active engaged time" as its primary performance metric by the end of the year. Specific dates for the final closure of the three titles were not reported.