It is often said that paid-for content is the first thing to falter in a recession but it seems free content doesn’t prosper either: two free, daily Spanish newspapers are cutting editions and staff in response to the downturn. Swedish-based Metro International, which has editions in 150 cities across Europe, North America, South American and Asia, is cutting editions in Bilbao,  Zaragoza and its Galicia edition, which is distributed in La Coruna, Vigo and Santiago. Newspaperinnovation.com also reports that Metro is also making more than 12 job cuts in its Seville office. These towns will still get the national Spanish Metro edition but will lose out on local content. The UK’s DMGT-owned Metro is similarly making cuts in its 16 regional offices, which produce the localised Metro Life centrepage section.

Also in Spain, Newspaperinnovation.com reports that Spanish free national newspaper Que! is shutting its editions in A Coruña, Bilbao, Mallorca and Murcia. Publisher Vocento is appealing to the government for special permission to lay off 104 staff, 40 percent of its workforce.