Reach cuts 220 editorial jobs as AI traffic collapse reshapes UK news publishing

Reach plc, the UK’s largest regional and national news publisher, is cutting around 220 editorial jobs and shutting three digital-only news outlets as part of a sweeping restructure it describes as a response to a “mammoth shift” in how people consume news online. The closures affect KentLive, AberdeenLive, and GalwayBeo, three digital properties Reach built during an era of aggressive online expansion. Roughly 60 new roles will be created alongside the cuts, leaving a net reduction of approximately 160 positions across the business. The numbers behind the decision Page views across its properties fell nearly 40% year-on-year as of mid-2026, a collapse that has ripped through its advertising economics. In the first half of 2026, overall revenues fell 9%, with digital revenues dropping more than 11%. Reach is targeting a 5-6% reduction in adjusted operating costs for 2026, building on a 2025 restructure that had already produced a net reduction of 186 editorial roles. What is actually killing traffic at Reach Google’s algorithm changes have hammered referral traffic to traditional news publishers. Reach’s high-volume content model, which relied on producing enormous quantities of st...