29 full time positions at Blick newspaper, one of Switzerland
's best selling dailies, have been cut as a direct result of an all new integrated newsroom at the company, Handelszeitung reports.

The majority of cuts touched the Production, Layout, Graphics and Proof Reading departments. Fewer cuts were made to purely journalistic positions. According to a Spokesperson for Ringier Media group, production positions had to be reduced by 28 percent of full time staff and layout by 11 percent.

Surviving staff will have to hold their breath for a while longer, before breathing a sigh of relief it seems. Over the coming weeks managers and consults will be changed with the task of analysing the day to day functions of the new integrated newsroom to see where further cuts could be made, with an official "diagnosis" being made by February. A spokesperson for the group said that this period of analysis was entirely necessary to ensure that newsroom not only reaches its full potential but also runs as "efficiently" as possible.

The Journalist and Media unions have expressed outrage at the news of current and proposed job cuts demanding that Blick impose a six-month freeze on the jobs cuts, until the economic climate warms up.

Source: Handelszeitung