Journalist jobs to go at Reuters news agency in global review of newsrooms

An electronic board displays the latest news outside the Thomson Reuters' headquarters at Canary Wharf in London

Reuters news agency is undergoing a review of its global newsrooms which is set to end in a number of editorial job cuts, including in the UK.

Reuters parent company Thomson Reuters announced last week that it will be cutting its global workforce by 12 per cent, equal to 3,200 jobs, in a streamlining and cost reduction plan over the next two years.

Although unrelated, job losses falling under the Reuters newsroom review are included in the above figure. A spokesperson could not confirm how many jobs would be affected as a result of the review alone.

The news agency is currently looking at how it can best use technology alongside its journalists with a focus on creating faster and more insightful news coverage, Press Gazette understands.

It also wants to better respond to changing user habits online and create more flexible working methods to ensure it is well-equipped to survive in the future.

Part of the review means looking at whether the right people are working in the right places to serve Reuters clients, Press Gazette understands.

This will mean staff reductions in some areas and increased hiring in others.

At least three top editors have already gone in the US, it is understood, while jobs are also likely to go in London and in Reuters’ dual language bureaus in Europe, including in Germany and Italy.

A Reuters spokesperson said: “We are currently reviewing our global operations and how our newsrooms are organised, as we look to enhance the quality of our work and ensure we are serving our customers’ changing needs.

“We are confident that the changes we are making will increase our efficiency, strengthen our services and allow us to produce more of the high-impact journalism – exclusives, investigations and insights – that we know is valued by our clients.”

Reuters is a division of global information and technology company Thomson Reuters, which has not released any specifics about where jobs could be lost in its overall business.

Shares in Thomson Reuters hit an all-time high after investors were told of the restructuring plans, rising by as much as 3.7 per cent according to Reuters.

Michael Friedenberg joined the company as president of Reuters news and media operations last Monday.

Thomson Reuters chief executive Jim Smith said he believed Friedenberg “can make Reuters News an even greater part of our growth story going forward”, the agency reported.

Picture: Reuters/Eddie Keogh