A REGIONAL newspaper group continued its attack on editorial staff by announcing 30 more redundancies, which were branded “a job massacre” by journalists’ union the NUJ yesterday.

Newsquest, owned by US conglomerate Gannett, is one of Britain’s top four regional newspaper publishers.
The latest cuts in staffing will affect journalists in north-east England, London and the Home Counties.

Editorial jobs have already been axed at The Press in York and the Northern Echo in Darlington.

NUJ Northern and Midlands organiser Chris Morley said: “The words used by our members following today’s announcements are ‘shell-shocked’ and ‘job massacre.’

“After so many casualties and waves of cutbacks at Newsquest centres, it does seem that the company is at war with its staff.

“At a time when the company’s US bosses are wallowing in obscene, mega-handouts and patting themselves on the back, staff at their UK outpost have been hung out to dry.”