Local Newspapers In South London

EDM number 511 in 2016-17, proposed by Siobhain McDonagh on 11/10/2016.
Categorised under the topic of Press.

That this House is concerned about the future of local newspaper titles across South London in the Newsquest group, including the Croydon, Epsom, Sutton, Wandsworth and Wimbledon Guardians, the Richmond and Twickenham Times, the Surrey Comet and the Bexley, Bromley, Dartford, Greenwich and Lewisham editions of News Shopper, as well as their associated websites; is alarmed at the announcement that Newsquest has put its entire South London newsroom on notice of redundancy, bar the managing editor and the web editor; notes that following planned cuts to staffing, just 12 reporters and four content editors will be expected to continue to produce 11 newspapers and eight associated websites, covering all features, sport and leisure, as well as news; further notes that these cuts follow shortly after the earlier announcement that none of the South London titles would continue to have professional photographers after 11 September 2016; is worried about the impact on quality of local news provision, and the effect on staff health and morale due to inadequate staffing levels and excessive workloads; and calls for Newsquest's CEO Henry Faure Walker, Editorial Development Director Toby Granville and local Managing Director Tony Portelli to enter into urgent talks and meaningful consultation with staff representatives from the National Union of Journalists to protect the future of these South London titles, and for a focused public inquiry to urgently be held into the future of local and regional news provision more generally.

This motion has been signed by a total of 8 MPs.