ALMOST a 1,000 people have signed an online petition opposing budget cuts planned at The Herald group of newspapers, a matter of just four days since it was set up.
As reported on Friday, on allmediascotland, the ePetition calls on Newsquest – owner of The Herald, Sunday Herald, the Evening Times and publishing division, Caledonian – to stop cutting jobs and to honour a pledge made, when it bought the group four years ago, to maintain the quality and level of coverage of Scottish issues and opinions.
Among the fears circulating among staff – who have been asked to apply for voluntary redundancy – is that the production of The Herald and the Sunday Herald will be merged into one, seven-day operation. There is speculation too that the Sunday Herald will be turned into a news magazine.
The Evening Times is not immune from rumours, either, including that its Saturday edition may be a casualty of the cuts.
The biggest fear is that the group, as a whole, is being prepared for a sale.