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Major shake-up at M.E.N media

March 11, 2009

MEN Media, publisher of the Manchester Evening News and weekly titles across Greater Manchester, has briefed staff on a range of proposed changes to the business and a restructure which will include 150 redundancies.

The major changes announced at MEN Media are designed to protect the business and its journalism for the future through a new model with significantly lower fixed costs.

The local and regional press is facing the worst conditions in living memory as the economic downturn exacerbates and accelerates longer-term structural changes in the behaviour of advertisers and readers.

The viability of local and regional titles is under threat due to steeply falling revenues that are not expected to return to previous levels even when economic conditions improve. Publishers therefore need to find a sustainable new model if they are to survive.

Mark Dodson, chief executive of MEN Media, said: "The problem we face is that we are in unprecedented times as far as the regional press is concerned.

"We've seen an alarming drop in revenue from our classified advertising business and what that has meant is there is real pressure on the profitability of the company.

"What we need to do to remain profitable is make considerable savings within the business and that has meant we have to make 150 people redundant in MEN Media."

| Submit Comments | Comments (13) | « Previous Story | Next Story »

Most recent user comments 13 of 13

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Hi J Hall, it helps to know names from people commenting? Oh right, because 'J Hall' tells me everything I need to know doesn't it? I'm a disillusioned Labour voter who unfortuantely still votes Labour in Tameside because of the fear of splitting the vote and allowing the BNP a chance. If you had such damning evidence about the council, did you go to the ombudsman or make an official complaint? I doubt it or else I'm sure you would've bragged about it in your post. Why don't you do something constructive like report your concerns to those who oversee these bodies, not just run to the local papers and ask them to print something so you get to embarrass the council but not do any hard work yourself.

Stevie Wonder, Wonderland
18/03/2009 at 08:21

Hi Stevie Wonder With respect,it would appear that your comments don`t stand up to scrutiny re the Advertiser being hostile to TMBC. If the Advertiser had not had close links with R.Oldham and his cronies the Labour Party would have seen a reduction in the TMBC Labour Vote over past years. I for one discovered serious issues relating to Labour Councillors,which could be substantiated with 100% documented evidence,did they get printed? NO they did not,so whats this unsubstantiated rhetoric your offering. It helps to know names from those commenting and whether they are members of a political party. As for me I voted Labour for 40 plus years but dropped them as soon as I discovered what occurs,and now I have no political allegiances whatsoever.

J.Hall, Tameside
17/03/2009 at 16:51

This is really sad for the Advertiser, which, I believe is a real community paper. The fraught relationship between the Advertiser and the Council is well known in Tameside, previous poster J Hall must be the only one who hasn't heard about it. I think the paper does run quite a few boring stories about local Councillors receiving green flag awards etc but surely, in struggling times, they have to do their best to retain some kind of relationship as they rely on the ad revenue and if you notice, the Advertiser frequently run bad stories about the council. They an't print bad without good surely? J Hall, if you ran a business and the instead of being fair, local paper only ever printed bad stories about you, wouldn't that be unfair? J Hall wants a free press, well if the Advertiser is forced to close or lose reporters, you'll have nothing, the Council will be free to do what it wants and nobody will report on it.

Stevie Wonder, Wonderland
17/03/2009 at 10:04

when this reorgainisation is complete .... maybe people can get thier views printed online ......

Dennis the Menace, Hyde
17/03/2009 at 01:04

This is how you are repaid by the establihment for all the PC toadying and political censorship you have carried out for "them" in Tameside over the years.

tonydj, Ashton u Lyne
14/03/2009 at 10:49

punterpride? something rings a bell with that name.

Esso blue & The Temple of Boom,, under the Blue Moonlight
12/03/2009 at 23:28

So what are the changes then? Aren't you supposed to say what they are, being a news website?

allotment lad 2, Sunny Manc
11/03/2009 at 20:32

the govts pressure to stop accepting adverts for massage parlours has meant a huge loss of income,its a shame when people lose their jobs,it will be little consolation that harriet harman praised the men for their new found "morality".praise does'nt pay the bills

punterpride,
11/03/2009 at 17:57

The Evening News will always be around, it's just a shame people have to lose their jobs and I hope they can find other work soon. I would just like to say Good luck and I hope everything works out well.

Esso blue & The Temple of Boom,, under the Blue Moonlight
11/03/2009 at 17:44

I hope this wasn't caused by the Guardian creaming all MENS profits when in fact all the MEN sub papers are very profitable. To sink the ship due to another paper all together would be a shame

Mr Paul Teeque - DEMOCRACY IS ALIVE IN MANCHESTER! WE WON!, Proud of his fellow mancs!!!
11/03/2009 at 15:13

Whilst I really regret anyone loosing their jobs,I hope a more objective and unbiased reporting occurs because the Labour Politicians have had a field day with the Advertisers these recent years ensuring constant photo shoots of politicians especially when one cut his finger,or regular posing surrounded by children,and the constant rhetoric printed without any real right of reply by the Electorate. If you want the real truth it has been definately lacking in the Advertisers pages because of the way in which local politicians have cultivated the Advertisers,so lets get back to a democratic press open to everyone,and not just the favoured few and perhaps real substantiated critical facts regarding Tameside Politicians will become known to the general public, and get some fresh air into the system which administrates our lives and in many instances is reckless with our money.

J.Hall, Tameside
11/03/2009 at 14:14

Its a real shame because its only been in the last few years that local paper have come into their own and actually report whats going on in areas re local polititian.We now actually know what they look like.Local crime.Communities doing things together such as clean ups.They help the public challenge services from bin men to NHS,and much more. I remember the days when all they were full of were picturs of local polititians/council officials/police etc telling us how marvellous they were.Maybe people will start their own local newsletters?

Angie33 , Manchester
11/03/2009 at 13:51

Morale among MEN staff won't be great. Where do these people go now?

Mr Manchester,
11/03/2009 at 13:39

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