Fairfax to serve up monster job cuts

Fairfax Media has drafted yet another proposal to axe jobs from its mastheads, this time threatening 50 jobs at a number of regional southern NSW papers.

Under the proposal the Illawarra Mercury and the Wollongong Advertiser’s photography department will cop the biggest blow, with the number of staff photographers being reduced from eight to two and a half (the half being a part time photographer).

Mercury photographer Sylvia Liber, who has worked for the paper for 18 years, won a Walkley Award for this photo, 'Little Princess', last year. Source: Supplied.

Mercury photographer Sylvia Liber, who has worked for the paper for 18 years, won a Walkley Award for this photo of Imogen Stone – ‘Little Princess’ – last year. Source: Supplied.

‘The photographers at the Illawarra Mercury are the backbone to this newspaper as we are mostly born and bred in the area, have extensive experience in press photography, and are national award winners as well as Walkley Award winners,’ Andy Zakeli, Mercury photographer and the papers Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) house committee president told Pro Counter.

The Mercury has reported that more than half of the editorial staff jobs will disappear, although no decision has been finalised.

Fairfax said that the job cuts are about ‘investing’ into its newspapers and websites future, and the mastheads must embrace change and learn ‘new skills’ to continue creating quality journalism.

Part of this will be training journalists to take on photographer’s responsibilities.

But Zakeli says that there’d be no way for the paper to sufficiently cover the region, let alone continue reaching its current level quality photojournalism.

‘There is a real concern that cutting the photographic staff to a minimum will have an adverse affect in the community,’ he said. ‘A lot of the photographers have a standing in the community, not only for their professionalism, but they form connections to all the walks of life they come across on a day to day basis. The Mercury photographers are a direct conduit for the Illawarra region to have their voice heard and life’s published in the public eye.’

Mercury.News.First Summer Storm 2009.Beach goers on Towradgi beach take shelter under boogie boards from the storm that lashed the Illawarra coast around 2.30pm today.6th January 2009.Pic.Kirk Gilmour.Story.Katelin McInerney SPECIAL 00086045

Can a journalist capture a moment like this? Mercury photographer Kirk Gilmour won a Walkley Award for this photo, ‘Batten Down the Boogie Boards’, which was shot while on a news assignment for the paper. Source: Supplied.

ABC’s Media Watch ran a segment on Monday covering the falling quality of mastheads across Australia. It highlighted the myriad of mistakes, embarrassing typos, offensive words and re-printed stories that have begun popping up as job losses sweep the mainstream print industry.

Despite this, Fairfax has shown no sign of stopping it’s ‘investment’ into the future with many more jobs scheduled to be cut well into 2016.

The staff at the Mercury; the local community; and local MPs have staunchly opposed and criticised Fairfax’s proposed cuts.

‘Should the proposed job cuts proceed, I make it clear that this will be a monumental and conspicuous failure of Fairfax management to deal with a changing media market and manage for the long term,’ Kiama MP, Gareth Ward said in State Parliament.

Zakeli says the MEAA, the staff at affected newspapers, and other union groups are currently fighting to have photography positions (and others) retained. But it’s no easy job, and sparing a single position would be considered a victory.

He urges local communities, the photographic community and anyone that cares for quality reporting and photojournalism to support local mastheads. He says that buying local papers, clicking a few stories and engaging various social media handles is one way to do this.

Writing to local politicians, editors, and Fairfax can assist the survival ‘when drastic changes are afoot’.

‘Photographers love to talk about themselves, so go and say “hello” and ask them for photo advice – there is usually a wealth of knowledge locked up inside the heads of crusty old press photographers that needs to be shared. Also please write to your local politicians and editors to show your support when drastic changes are afoot.

Anyone wishing to voice their concerns to Fairfax can do so by contacting this e-mail address: acm@fairfaxmedia.com.au


One thought on “Fairfax to serve up monster job cuts

Comments are closed.

Recent Related Posts