Scottish newspaper and magazine publisher DC Thomson announces 300 redundancies
Staff are said to be "furious" at the way the cuts are being handled. The company owns a number of newspapers including The Sunday Post, The Press and Journal, the Evening Express, The Courier and the Evening Telegraph.
DC Thomson has announced plans to axe hundreds of jobs to plug a £10m gap in its finances.
The Scottish newspaper and magazine publisher said the move was "vital" to help the business "thrive in the future".
The company owns a number of newspapers including The Sunday Post, The Press and Journal, the Evening Express, The Courier and the Evening Telegraph.
It also owns many other titles including the much-loved Beano comic, golf magazine Bunkered and The People's Friend.
Up to 300 staff are expected to be made redundant.
Nick McGowan-Lowe, organiser at the Scottish office of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), described the cuts as "brutal" and said the union would "robustly defend" the jobs of its members.
He added: "Our members are furious both with how the company has handled these redundancies, and because they are seeking to make £10m cuts across the business after paying out £24m in dividends to shareholders last year.
"The jobs of hard-working journalists should not be sacrificed to pay the price of extravagant shareholder profits."
Around half of the job losses will come from titles acquired from Colchester-based Aceville in 2018.
However, the NUJ said the cuts will also affect staff in Aberdeen, Dundee and Glasgow.
DC Thomson later confirmed that it would be closing some Dundee-based magazines including Living, Platinum, Evergreen, Shout, Animals and You, and Animal Planet.
It said roles "at all levels" of the business are being reviewed but that it would be "inappropriate" to comment on individuals.
Rebecca Miskin, chief executive of DC Thomson's media arm, said on Wednesday: "These moves are vital to set us up to thrive in the future and to respond to the difficult economic environment we are in."
In an updated statement on Thursday, a DC Thomson spokesperson said the firm was "resetting" its media business to "focus on high growth, and sustainable growth", but that its flagship brands "remain integral" to its future.
The statement added: "The Scottish communities, particularly in the north and northeast, are core to DC Thomson and we have a number of thriving businesses in the region."
The Scottish newspaper and magazine publisher said the move was "vital" to help the business "thrive in the future".
The company owns a number of newspapers including The Sunday Post, The Press and Journal, the Evening Express, The Courier and the Evening Telegraph.
It also owns many other titles including the much-loved Beano comic, golf magazine Bunkered and The People's Friend.
Up to 300 staff are expected to be made redundant.
Nick McGowan-Lowe, organiser at the Scottish office of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), described the cuts as "brutal" and said the union would "robustly defend" the jobs of its members.
He added: "Our members are furious both with how the company has handled these redundancies, and because they are seeking to make £10m cuts across the business after paying out £24m in dividends to shareholders last year.
"The jobs of hard-working journalists should not be sacrificed to pay the price of extravagant shareholder profits."
However, the NUJ said the cuts will also affect staff in Aberdeen, Dundee and Glasgow.
DC Thomson later confirmed that it would be closing some Dundee-based magazines including Living, Platinum, Evergreen, Shout, Animals and You, and Animal Planet.
It said roles "at all levels" of the business are being reviewed but that it would be "inappropriate" to comment on individuals.
Rebecca Miskin, chief executive of DC Thomson's media arm, said on Wednesday: "These moves are vital to set us up to thrive in the future and to respond to the difficult economic environment we are in."
In an updated statement on Thursday, a DC Thomson spokesperson said the firm was "resetting" its media business to "focus on high growth, and sustainable growth", but that its flagship brands "remain integral" to its future.
The statement added: "The Scottish communities, particularly in the north and northeast, are core to DC Thomson and we have a number of thriving businesses in the region."
