New owners for local paper
A deal worth £65m has been agreed for Media Concierge to acquire National World, the owners of The Shropshire Star, Telford Journal and other titles.
National World themselves acquired MNA, the owners of the The Shropshire Star, for £11m back in September 2023, shortly after the presses in Telford stopped for the final time and printing was outsourced.
The Ketley headquarters were flattened and staff moved into offices at Grosvenor House, Snedshill.
According to the National Union of Journalists, “Media Concierge, headed by UK businessman Malcolm Denmark, … has promised to refrain from editorial job cuts and instead invest in local news as part of its takeover of the newspaper group…
“…our members will want to see more than words and promises from the new owners, with proper investment in newsrooms, and a commitment for real and meaningful consultation with the NUJ.”
The Shropshire Star as a paper looks to be safe after Media Concierge has assured that it will not make material job losses across editorial and production teams.
Indeed, Media Concierge has said that it “intends to invest in the company’s editorial output and preserve the nature of local journalism, and as a result does not intend to close down local newsbrand locations”
In August, the latest ABC certified circulation figures revealed that around 8,000 copies were sold each day, plus just under 550 digital subscribers.
Pic: Telford Live
