James Murdoch, the chairman and chief executive of News Corporation, Europe and Asia, slammed peer British publications with his comment that daily and Sunday newspaper integration was a "cost-cutting exercise" which had "diminished daily and Sunday rivals."

Murdoch made his remarks to staff after his announcement yesterday of a reorganization within News International, which will include merging ad sales departments of Times Media and News Group Newspapers and reducing bloat in the commercial management structure, but will include no editorial integration.

Although he did not name names, Murdoch's remarks were likely a jab at the Telegraph Media Group, which has recently integrated the Daily Telegraph, Sunday Telegraph and telegraph.co.uk website.

"Around the world, many newspapers and their publishers are scaling back. Just look, for instance, at seven-day publishing projects in this country," Murdoch said in a message sent to all staff.

"In contrast, today our market-leading, challenging and innovative titles are publishing outstanding journalism written by great journalists every day of the week."

Murdoch's comments come in the midst of another rival's integration, as The Guardian and The Observer move towards a full staff merger, to be completed by the end of this year.

Contrasting Murdoch's "cost-cutting" dismissal, editor-in-chief Alan Rusbridger touts the Guardian/Observer integration as one that will "unlock the creativity"  of the publications' staff, and insists that overall headcount will remain the same and "may even increase" this year.

Sources: Guardian.co.uk, Press Gazette