APN regional media editorial boss says ‘foot soldiers’ in regions are important

Johns

APN News & Media’s Australian Regional Media (ARM) editorial boss has taken a swipe at Fairfax following the rival publisher’s recent cuts to its regional papers, noting it is important to retain “the foot soldiers in the regions”.

At the end of last month, Newcastle Herald editorial staff staged a walkout in response to Fairfax Media’s proposal to cut 69-full-time equivalent positions across the Newcastle and Hunter region. The proposal followed on from cuts to Sydney papers, The Land, the Illawarra and South Coast and in regional Victoria.

In response to a question by Mumbrella on the pressures on regional publishers, such as Fairfax, Bryce Johns said: “There is a lot of pressure on all media and we’re not immune to that. We haven’t had to be anywhere near as savage in the cuts we’ve made.