Bristol NUJ Branch backs protest over Post cuts

The Bristol NUJ Branch is supporting a demo over the latest cuts at Northcliffe's Bristol Evening Post this evening (Tuesday).

The protest is planned at The Galleries, Fairfax Street, at 6:30 pm where an exhibition marking 80 years of the Post is taking place.

It was announced last week that the Post was to lose up to 20 jobs as its Saturday edition and Venue magazine are to close.

Bristol NUJ Branch said in a statement: "Last week's news about yet more redundancies at the Evening Post – and the end of Venue in print – has really made waves.

"At last many people – not just journalists – seem to realise that newsgathering in our city is approaching a crisis point.

"How can the city's only dedicated daily newspaper provide proper coverage when staffing is reduced by a further third, to fewer than 40 journalists? Six years ago there were close to 190 journalists on the Post, Western Daily Press and Observer.

"We don't want to mar the celebration – but we do want to point out the irony of Northcliffe celebrating the proud history of the Post when:

• The Post was founded in 1932 by the Bristol community in defiance at Northcliffe's attempt to win a Bristol monopoly for its title, the Bristol World.

• Northcliffe has been trying to sell Bristol and its other regional centres for years.

"The Bristol branch of the NUJ believes it's time to make clear that important papers like the Post are not safe in Northcliffe's hands."

The Bristol NUJ Branch says it is "partly" organising the protest along with "community members and activists".

• The Bristol Evening Post is celebrating its 80th birthday tomorrow (18 April). As part of those celebrations The Galleries is hosting a month long exhibition about the paper. It features dozens of memorable front pages from the past eight decades along with hundreds of archive photos.