by Murray Rowlands
THE decision of the Guardian Media Group to close the Aldershot News office, Woking News and Mail office, and the Esher News and Mail office and cut the publication of the Reading Evening Post from five days a week to just twice a week has been condemned by local community leaders and the National Union of Journalists.
Barry Fitzpatrick, head of the NUJ’s publishing section, said: “In Aldershot a paper and two offices have closed. The news hasn’t stopped happening and the job cuts are unnecessary. Local people will be denied the information they need to keep the community together and scrutinise the local authorities.”
The union is making an approach to Dame Liz Forgan, a member of the Scott Trust which owns the Guardian Media Group, emphasising what the consequences of these closures will be on communities in Surrey and Berkshire.
The NUJ has accused the Guardian Media Group of creaming off profits from its local newspapers in the good times of high advertising revenues and then brutally cutting jobs and titles in the current credit crunch.
NUJ general secretary Jeremy Dear said: “These cuts show a total contempt for readers, advertisers, and the people left behind to do more work with no resources.”
Local Labour Parties are contacting Culture Secretary Andy Burnham about the situation, saying they cannot accept a future without local papers carrying out their crucial function of supporting democratic life.
