Telegraph starts job-cut consultation as insiders expect up to 100 losses

The Telegraph began formal consultation on job cuts on Friday 23 October, its publisher said, as the Guardian reported that staff had already received redundancy notifications. Newsroom insiders expected as many as 100 people to lose their jobs, but Telegraph Media Group would not confirm a total.

European media group Axel Springer bought the newspaper for £575 million in June. The purchase ended three years of ownership uncertainty, during which prospective buyers were blocked, deals fell through or bidders faced strong internal opposition.

According to the Guardian, some employees were told on Thursday that they were being dismissed, while others received calls and emails on Friday morning. Insiders said the culture and sports departments were particularly hard hit.

Management’s plans for international growth and new income

Chief executive Carolin Hulshoff Pol told staff that the lengthy sale process had limited the Telegraph’s ability to invest and adapt while media and technology changed rapidly. She said the company aimed to become a global media and intelligence business, growing its international audience particularly through foreign affairs, defence and business coverage.

Friday’s staff briefing and email outlined plans to rely more on technology, data and artificial intelligence (AI) to change the reader experience. Pol said the organisation would use AI while strengthening qualities technology could not replace, including judgment, originality, courage and trust.

Pol also identified new income opportunities in video, audio, puzzles, events, services sold to other businesses, licensing, commerce and new products. She said delivering the strategy required changes to how the company was organised, how decisions were made and where it directed resources, alongside greater efficiency.