Reach cuts 220 editorial jobs as AI summaries slash web traffic

Publisher responds to dramatic traffic decline

Reach, the UK publisher behind the Daily Mirror, Daily Express, and dozens of regional titles, announced plans to eliminate 220 editorial positions as artificial intelligence-powered search summaries devastate traditional web traffic patterns.

The company reported a 46% year-on-year decline in referrals from Google, attributing the drop to features like AI Mode and AI Overviews that answer user queries directly without requiring clicks to publisher websites. The Guardian first reported the cuts on Wednesday.

David Higgerson, Reach's chief content officer, told staff the industry faces a "mammoth shift in how audiences want content and journalism." The restructuring will close three online-only regional brands—KentLive, AberdeenLive, and GalwayBeo—that failed to achieve market dominance in their areas.

Strategic pivot to subscriptions and video

While cutting jobs, Reach will create approximately 60 new editorial roles focused on driving digital revenue growth through subscriptions and long-form video content. The company currently has 50,000 paid digital subscribers across six major titles and aims to reach 75,000 by year-end.

Digital revenues fell nearly 1% to £128.9 million in the year ending March 3, 2025. Reach's share price has plummeted 90% over the past five years as the publisher struggles to adapt to changing consumption patterns.

Higgerson said the company would abandon traditional page view metrics in favor of measuring "active engaged time," emphasizing original journalism and distinctive brand content over story volume.

Why it matters

Reach's restructuring illustrates how AI-powered search features are fundamentally disrupting the economic model that has sustained digital journalism for two decades. When search engines answer questions directly, publishers lose both traffic and the advertising revenue that funds reporting. The shift forces news organizations to find alternative revenue streams—primarily subscriptions—while producing less content with smaller staffs. This dynamic affects not just large publishers but the entire news ecosystem, particularly local journalism that depends on search visibility.

Compounding pressures

Beyond AI summaries, Higgerson cited competition from an "expansionist BBC" that he said mirrors commercial publishers' local coverage up to 70% of the time. This represents the latest in a series of cuts at Reach, which put 600 roles at risk in September 2025 and ultimately eliminated more than 300 editorial positions.

The company employed an average of 3,423 staff in its latest financial year, with 2,494 classified as editorial and production employees. The wage bill totaled £208.5 million.

Details of the restructuring were first reported by The Guardian.