Shock at Post

June 4, 2002

Media Release

Shock at Post

Staff at Wellington Newspapers are shocked and saddened by today’s announcement that the city’s evening newspaper, the Evening Post, is to close.

Some 90 people are expected to lose their jobs when the paper “merges” with the morning newspaper The Dominion to form the Dominion Post.

“We’re all very upset,” said one Post journalist. “Sixty journalists will lose their jobs – that’s virtually the entire editorial staff of the Post.”

The workers’ union, the EPMU, is talking to the company about the level of job losses and the redundancy process.

Union national secretary Andrew Little said that the Evening Post was one of the country’s oldest newspaper, with a fine tradition of good journalism.

“This is sad not only for the Post’s staff, but also for its readers,” he said. “The Post was founded in 1865 and some has counted some of the country’s best journalists among its ranks.

“In a world where media ownership is becoming increasingly concentrated, it is vital that there is as much diversity among newspapers as possible. The demise of the Evening Post, while not entirely unexpected given the worldwide trend away from afternoon newspapers, is, nevertheless, a loss.”

Workers covered by collective agreements negotiated by the union are entitled to redundancy pay. Staff at Wellington Newspapers will hold meetings tomorrow to discuss today’s announcement.

Ends

© Scoop Media