News Corp axing 55 journos from newspapers
News Corp Australia will slash 55 journalism roles across its newspapers, a move which has drawn condemnation from the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance.
The publishing company met with the journalists’ union this morning to discuss the redundancy program, while editorial managers responsible for the cuts have also been briefed about the program, according to News Corp publication The Australian.
MEAA Media director Katelin McInerney said in a statement: “Journalists already work intensely hard and in these days of increased demand for content and the need for quality journalism to ensure the public’s right to know, these job losses are a short-sighted response that erode the ability of News Corp to deliver news, information and entertainment to its audiences.
“MEAA will meet with the company in coming days and we have called the company to ensure that any job losses are done through a voluntary redundancy process. MEAA will consult with affected members on next steps.”
But the story in The Australian was a typical spin job. Even when their own colleagues are axed they still try to make it look like everything is hunky dory at the company. Other reports have said the cuts are a result of plummeting revenue at the Australian papers, with the cuts to be focused at the Tele, Herald Sun & the Oz. Meanwhile, the senior editors responsible for losing readers and advertisers will probably keep their protected positions.
probably because the reading public have been quickly turning away from news corp publications … lets just hope the gutter journos dont end up elsewhere… there are some amazing people at newscorp – but i have no clue why they work there except for a paycheck.
How do you create quality journalism, deliver it in innovative ways and build an audience in a meaningful way that contributes to strong revenue?
It’s a question News doesn’t answer well and with restructures being more common than lunch breaks, it makes it hard to focus on what can be done (and then deliver it) rather than, when will I be called into one of ‘those’ meetings…
News is an amazing com
Company and has the resources to be best in class and a reach that is enviable. It’s sad they don’t do more with it.
Feel sorry for the journos involved, but can’t say that the Australian is any longer an absorbing newspaper. Their endless attacks on the ABC are childish and unworthy of a supposedly serious broadsheet. And their editorials are nowadays mundanely written.
Sales of the product have fallen, so we are going to make the product worse ….
Sales of the product have fallen, so we are going to make the product worse ….
Sales of the product have fallen, so we are going to make the product worse ….
Sales of the product have fallen, so we are going to make the product worse ….
rinse and repeat till last person turns out lights.
I try and be optimistic in my life, but as literally millions of distractions keep people away from “traditional” media, our jobs are going.
Do the maths – less than two decades ago people could only get their entertainment and news from a few newspapers, radio stations and about five television stations. Now there are thousands of new outlets every week whether it be You Tube, blogs, streaming Tv i pods or whatever.
I once woke up and scanned the BBC & WSJ…. Never did I ever scan the Australian Media until I decided I should….
When I did, it was re-hashed garbage, and was aimed at simple folk.
If you want news on any level you do not look at our channels….
Yes, tune into the Oz’s Media section for the story about how Fairfax is in tailspin with yet more jobs cut, while cuts at News get the softest possible touch.
How can Campbell Reid be director of content innovation when he’s not on Twitter?
Editorial managers responsible for the cuts have also been briefed about the program, according to News Corp publication The Australian. That’s good to know.
So the anti union papers employees run to the union when jobs are cut. Nothing wrong with that, it is the role of organised labour, but the irony is always a source of amusement.
It is a sad fact that newspaper publishers all over the world are struggling to survive. It is also a sad fact that most of them cut staff and quality and then wonder why the struggle to survive only gets harder. Given it is a proven recipe for failure it is hard to understand why they keep doing what they know will not work.