AROUND FIFTY JOURNALISTS will lose their jobs as the Dublin office of Real-time Editing & Design is set to close.
RE&D creates written content for a number of national newspapers and magazines and also provides outsourced copy-editing services.
The decision to close the Dublin office was taken after Independent Newspapers took a decision not to renew a contract they held with RE&D.
Staff at RE&D were informed of the decision this afternoon.
A director at the company confirmed to TheJournal.ie that Independent Newspapers had informed them that they had decided that their journalists would be “writing to fit to shapes on a page”.
This they said would lead to a drastic reduction in their need for sub-editing services and that outside services would no longer be required.
RE&D employ a total of 150 people across their Dublin and Belfast offices and although the Belfast office will remain open it is believed that it will also be affected.
Ian McGuinness of the National Union of Journalists has said that he was shocked by the news of the job losses and that, although they have not yet contacted their members in RE&D, that is their immediate concern.
McGuinness said that while this is undoubtedly a blow to the workers in RE&D, it will also have a knock-on effect for journalists within Independent News & Media.
“Sub-editing, layout and design are important aspects of journalism and if journalists are being asked to engage in these processes then it will put extra pressure on them as well,” he said.
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