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Mirror publisher to cut 220 editorial jobs as readers turn to AI summaries

The publisher of the Mirror and Express newspapers is to cut a further 220 editorial jobs as it adapts to a dramatic fall in online traffic while readers increasingly turn to summaries generated by artificial intelligence. Reach, which also owns scores of online brands and regional titles including the Manchester Evening News, the Birmingham Mail and the Liverpool Echo, said the latest cuts were necessary to cope with a “mammoth shift” in how audiences seek out content. The move represents the latest restructure…

By the Truvace desk2 min read1 sourceJournalismTRV-2026-1115· cite & verify
Mirror publisher to cut 220 editorial jobs as readers turn to AI summaries

In brief

On 16 September 2026, The Guardian reported that Reach, publisher of the Mirror, Express and regional titles, will cut 220 editorial jobs and close KentLive, AberdeenLive and GalwayBeo. The company cited a dramatic fall in online traffic as readers turn to AI summaries, following an earlier restructure that cut more than 300 jobs.

The cuts illustrate how AI-mediated search is reshaping news economics, moving value from publisher sites to AI overviews that answer queries without clicks. Reach is pivoting to subscriptions and video while de-emphasizing volume, but it remains uncertain whether 60 new revenue-focused roles and a focus on engaged time can offset sustained referral losses and competition from the BBC.

Main points

  1. Reach will cut 220 editorial jobs and close KentLive, AberdeenLive and GalwayBeo, citing a mammoth shift in how audiences seek content.
  2. Publisher attributes slump to readers turning to AI summaries, with a 46% year-on-year decline in Google traffic as AI Mode and AI Overviews negate clicks.
  3. About 60 new editorial roles will be created to drive digital revenue growth focused on subscriptions and longer-form video.

The problem

Reach is cutting 220 editorial jobs after AI-generated summaries reduced referral traffic, with Google AI features linked to a 46% year-on-year decline in clicks to its sites.

The rundown

Reach said the cuts respond to a mammoth shift in audience behavior and a slump in Google referrals, noting digital revenues fell to £128.9m and its share price has plunged 90% over five years. The group employed 3,423 staff on average, with 2,494 in editorial and production.

Chief content officer David Higgerson said the strategy will shift from story volume and page views to original journalism, distinctive brands, and active engaged time, with new roles focused on subscriptions and longer-form video to reach 75,000 paid subscribers from 50,000.

Sources

  1. JournalismThe Guardian2026-09-16

The debate