Attack on journalism is an attack on communities, says EPMU

APN’s announcement today that it will be outsourcing subediting and layout for its New Zealand newspapers and magazines will result in the loss of decent jobs and a drop in the quality of the news, says the union that represents journalists.

The outsourcing contract has been picked up by Australian company PageMasters and is likely to cost more than seventy jobs around the country.

EPMU National Secretary Andrew Little says the cost-cutting exercise will have a major impact on the quality of our news.

“Subeditors are the people who make sure our papers get their facts right. It requires a lot of local knowledge, and that’s not going to be possible if it’s all based in Auckland.

“Local newspapers thrive on being connected to their communities. All this will do is move ownership of the news stories further from the journalists who write them and further from the people in the news, and that’s not good for anyone.

“We need good quality, accurate news for our democracy to function, but APN seems more interested in increasing its profit margins.

“That’s not good enough, and we plan to fight it.”

The proposed outsourcing will affect operations at APN’s New Zealand magazine and newspaper stable, which includes the New Zealand Herald, the Northern Advocate, Hawkes Bay Today, the Bay of Plenty Times, the Aucklander, the Listener, the Herald on Sunday and the Daily Post in Rotorua.

ENDS

© Scoop Media