The Welsh Liberal Democrats have warned that swift action is needed from both the UK and Welsh Governments to help save local newspapers, following news that Media Wales has issued redundancy warnings to 70 of their staff.
Media Wales is responsible
for publishing the Western Mail, South Wales Echo and Wales Online. The 70 jobs
potentially at risk represent over half of the organisation’s total, with roles
set to be cut including their editor-in-chief.
The organisation has
announced that they are set to be merged with the English Midlands division to
stay functional.
Cllr Rodney Berman, lead
Welsh Liberal Democrat Senedd candidate for South Wales Central, said:
“This is deeply worrying
news that threatens to eliminate the effective scrutiny by the press of
decision-making here in Wales. This is something that I believe is vital for an
effective democracy and needs to be safeguarded.
“There have been so many
cut backs in staff working for publications like the Western Mail and South
Wales Echo over recent years already that it’s hard to see how they will even
continue to function if a significant number of journalists are now made
redundant.
“We understand that all
newspapers have lost revenue as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, but we
surely can’t just stand by and let jobs be lost like this or we’ll have next to
no local press left here in Wales. Both the UK and Welsh Government must step
in to provide support and prevent a total collapse.”
Jane Dodds, Leader of the
Welsh Liberal Democrats, added:
“Local journalists and
publications play a key part in our society. They are crucial in connecting
communities, keeping people informed of local events and providing effective
scrutiny of politicians.
“Sadly, these cuts threaten
to destroy the already very fragile Welsh media industry for good. We need a
targeted support package, aimed at supporting these industries during these
difficult times.
“We also need to be helping
them adapt and diversify their content, particularly expanding their online presence.
So much of our media is consumed online, our media organisations need to
reflect that.
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