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To: Jonathan Lee, CN Group Managing Director

Reverse journalist cuts at Newsquest

National Union of Journalists

Reverse staff cuts at Newsquest and engage meaningfully with the union about pay, job cuts and quality local journalism.

Please send a message to Managing Director Johnathan Lee demanding Newsquest invest in journalists and journalism.

Why is this important?

Quality journalism is at the heart of a healthy democracy. It helps to keep people informed, combat fake news and holds those in power to account.

Yet the local media industry is in crisis. Newsquest is the second largest owner of regional and local newspapers in the UK and the company dominates the media industry in Cumbria.

Newsquest bought a series of newspaper titles in Cumbria earlier this year and since then the effect on local newsrooms has been detrimental and dramatic. The company has driven away experienced local journalists, whose professionalism, ethics and local standing has benefited the company - and the local community - enormously. Collectively, their departure represents a catastrophic loss of experience and knowledge.

NUJ members working for the Carlisle News and Star, the Cumberland News, the Workington Times and Star and the Whitehaven News newspapers took strike action on Thursday 20 December and need your support in their continuing campaign.

Please support the staff at Newsquest's Cumbrian papers and send a message to Managing Director Johnathan Lee.

Carlisle

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Updates

2018-12-20 14:07:46 +0000

As staff walked out on strike today, they received fantatic local cross-party political support:

Rory Stewart MP (Con): "Strong, vigorous local newspapers are a vital part of local democracy. Journalism is extraordinarily important. We will only keep it alive if we reward journalists properly."

Tim Farron MP (LD): "Our local reporters here in Cumbria aren't just writing about our communities, they are part of those communities - they are the glue that keeps our community together."

Cumbria County Council leader, Cllr Stewart Young (Lab): "Skilled and experienced local journalists are a key part of our democratic structures. They disseminate information to the public, organise campaigns, and in the finest examples of work they hold organisations like ours up to public scrutiny. That is why I support this industrial action."

Helen Davison, Carlisle Green Party chair: "Totally support the strike today. What Newsquest is doing is just wrong. They just not listening."

2018-12-20 12:10:58 +0000

500 signatures reached

2018-12-19 14:04:19 +0000

100 signatures reached

2018-12-19 13:45:49 +0000

50 signatures reached

2018-12-19 13:35:30 +0000

25 signatures reached

2018-12-19 13:32:24 +0000

10 signatures reached