Emap’s business publishing division Emap Inform is considering sharing production between construction titles Architects Journal and Architectural Review and putting both editorial teams under one editor-in-chief.
Earlier this week, the publisher announced it was looking to cut about 40 jobs – about 10 per cent of the total headcount – in order to reduce its cost base in light of the current financial crisis. A consultation period has begun.
Emap Inform chief executive Simon Middelboe said the publisher was only looking to share production and art between the two titles and would not go down the route taken by Incisive Media, which has shared journalists across publications.
He said: “I don’t like that as an idea. I think people want to retain their brand and loyalties and distinctions.
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“We are looking at ways of sharing production resources because we believe that is something that can be shared between businesses. The two magazines will remain distinct and have their own brand values.”
Architects Journal is a weekly trade magazine for the architectural community, and Architectural Review is a monthly critique of modern architecture around the world. Both titles have been going for more than 100 years.
Earlier this month, CMP Information announced it has begun redundancy consultations with staff at its Built Environment division – publisher of Building, BD and Property Week.
Middelboe said: “The construction workload is drying up very rapidly as the result of the funding crisis and housing has been badly affected.
“While our titles don’t exist within the housing market the knock-on effect is clear across the business.”
Emap Inform has titles spanning across a number of sectors, including retail, media and the public sector.
Middelboe said: “The business is holding up pretty well, but we are under pressure as is everyone else.
“We are doing what everybody else is doing. Our broader view is we have a higher proportion of paid-for revenues than most other B2B publishers in the UK, so we are less affected than most people.
“As a business we’re in a stronger position than most, but we’re not immune – as our decision to reduce our cost base shows.”
Last month, staff at Emap Public Sector considered industrial action over a long-running pay dispute with management. This has now been resolved.
An NUJ spokesman said: “We’re really pleased to get the pay dispute over and done with. Now we’re working with management to mitigate the impact of the job cuts.”
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