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Guardian technology supplement faces axe or merger

By Alison Battisby

The Guardian is considering dropping its Thursday technology supplement as part of a broader review of ways to cut costs.

The weekly title is reported to have suffered a decline in technology industry advertising.

The technology section of Guardian.co.uk is also said to be very popular with readers. It has 620,000 followers on social networking site Twitter.

Guardian News and Media announced last month that it was looking to make up to 50 editorial staff across the group redundant by the end of this year.

It is not yet known whether any technology staff will lose their jobs if the supplement is axed.

Guardian technology editor Charles Arthur told Press Gazette that no decisions had yet been made, and that the dropping of the supplement was “more of an if than a when”.

“The Guardian is looking to make cost cuts all over. There are a number of things being considered,” he said.

Asked about whether readers were more inclined to read the supplement online, Arthur said: “I don’t think that’s true at all. We have a huge readership in print.”

The Guardian is said to be in talks about a new section to replace the technology supplement.

Guardian News and Media said in a statement: “We are reviewing our technology offering to readers and one idea is that we might merge the printed section with Media on a Monday.

“This is still under consideration. We are, however, committed to expanding our technology coverage online to better meet the needs of the technology audience.”

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