Mirror publisher Reach cutting costs further in 2026 amid ongoing overhaul

Daily Mirror and Express newspaper group Reach has revealed plans to cut costs further over 2026 after an overhaul last year sparked its biggest ever restructure.

The group, which also publishes a raft of regional titles across the UK, said it was targeting another 5% to 6% in savings over the year, after slashing costs by 5.2% last year.

Reach last month announced it was closing two of its three print sites in a move impacting nearly 240 workers.

It came after the group announced last September it was axing more than 320 journalism jobs in a major restructure, which followed just months after around 40 staff were made redundant across its sports editorial team.

Chief executive Piers North did not rule out further job cuts in 2026 as the group continues to reduce costs in the face of a tough media landscape.

He told the Press Association the group’s workforce “know that change is constant and that we’re currently looking at how we’re structured”.

“We will always look at our cost base,” he said.

The group’s full-year results showed the group slumped to a bottom line pre-tax loss of £165.9 million in 2025 against profits of £62.8 million in 2024.

Cost cutting helped profits rise on an underlying basis, up 2.5% to £99.7 million, despite a 3.7% drop in revenues as digital turnover dropped 0.9% and its print operations saw a 4.6% fall.

Shares in Reach fell 11% amid hefty wider market falls on Tuesday.

On the outlook, Reach said: “Across the first two months of 2026 we continued to trade against the backdrop of lower referral volumes and a challenging macroenvironment, and are taking a cautious approach to digital performance for the year.

“We are on track to deliver market expectations for the full year, which is underpinned by a 5% to 6% reduction in adjusted operating costs.”

The group said last month it would shut its print operations at Saltire in Scotland and Watford, Hertfordshire, where around 92 and 147 staff are employed respectively.

Reach said it was too early to say how many jobs would be lost as a result, adding that operations at its remaining print site in Oldham, Manchester, would increase, while some work will also be outsourced to the Newsprinters site based in Hertfordshire.

Mr North said the group was watching events in Iran and the Middle East closely amid concerns over what impact the conflict may have on advertising markets.

He told PA: “We operate in that wider macroeconomic world… we need a strong economy and consumer confidence, so we have got one eye on it.”

But Mr North added that “change and transformation is now the norm” for the group as it has been forced to adapt to an ever-changing industry and wider economic backdrop, with artificial intelligence and changes to news consumption also putting traditional media firms under pressure.

Reach has been expanding its video team – with more than 100 journalists now on that team – as part of efforts to boost its video output and appeal more to social media markets.