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News Corp to cut 40 per cent of sales staff

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Mark Reinke is leading a new “state and community mastheads” division, housing the state tabloids.

The editor-in-chief of free news website news.com.au, Lisa Muxworthy, has so far been the highest-profile departure. Company veteran Peter Blunden, who helmed its national news team Network, has reduced his responsibilities. He retains his title of executive editor, however.

Muxworthy’s role was made redundant; The Daily Telegraph’s weekend editor, Mick Carroll, now oversees news.com.au and other titles in the free and lifestyle division in a newly created role. The Network team has fallen under Telegraph editor Ben English’s expanded remit.

Like other media companies, News Corp is facing a revenue hole as a result of social media giant Meta’s unwillingness to renegotiate commercial deals as part of the news media bargaining code.

It is also grappling with a near-unprecedented weak advertising market.

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News Corp Australia attributed its 10 per cent revenue slump in the most recent March quarter largely to lower advertising revenue.

Management leading the new structure have been directed to complete the redundancy rounds by June 30.

Some senior executives have already begun posting their departures on LinkedIn. Those including Alexandra Bliekast, the company’s head of national trading and NSW consortium agencies, and Michael Desiere, one of its longest-serving executives in New South Wales.

Last week at the National Press Club in Canberra, Miller defended News Corp’s $US250 million ($376 million) deal with artificial intelligence company OpenAI.

He said rumours that more than 100 journalist roles would be cut were just speculation.

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