'Around 40' Guardian News & Media staff take voluntary redundancy

Around 40 editorial staff are understood to have taken voluntary redundancy at Guardian News & Media this week. GNM, which publishes the Guardian, the Observer and the theguardian.com website network which includes MediaGuardian.co.uk, is looking to reduce its headcount in the light of losses that are running at around £100,000 a day. Voluntary redundancies include MediaGuardian.co.uk deputy editor Stephen Brook, reporter Chris Tryhorn and deputy production editor Aly Duncan, and the Guardian's San Francisco-based technology correspondent Bobbie Johnson. It is understood the voluntary redundancy programme is ongoing and the total number of editorial staff who leave will not be known for some time. A Guardian News & Media spokesman said: "A number of staff have had their requests for voluntary redundancy confirmed this week. Work on the budget and discussions with individual members of staff are ongoing, and the total number of people leaving will not be finalised for some time." In November GNM revealed that more than 100 of the publisher's 1,700 editorial and commercial posts were to be cut. • To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email [email protected] or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. • If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".