Archant said: "Since March last year, remote working has become the norm for many organisations, ours included.
“We have seen, time and again, from staff survey feedback and the very low numbers of employees who choose to come into our offices, that for the majority of people, home working is a preferred choice.
“Therefore, having looked carefully at our estate, we are reducing the number of physical locations we occupy to reflect the changes in how we work.
“Our commitment to our readers and customers remain steadfast. Our communities will see and feel no change and we will continue our unrivalled presence on the ground.”
Reacting to the shift to home-working within the journalism industry, Reach’s audience and content director for the North West, Alison Gow, told a Changing Newsroom report from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism: “I think it definitely allows reporters to be more with their communities. There were reporters here who would have to drive 90 minutes to get to the office because of the geography, and they don’t need to.
“They can work really efficiently from home. They can be in the corner shop because they’ve run out of milk. They can be a local voice and a face.”
This attitude is not shared by all in the industry, however. Tindle Newspapers’ publishing director, Scott Wood, told Press Gazette last week that the group was keeping its high street offices as it is “very important that as the high street opens up, we’re there to be part of it.”
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