ABC to axe 20 metro newsroom jobs as it restructures to adapt to ‘modern media environment’
The ABC will axe approximately 20 jobs in its city newsroom as it seeks to pivot to a structure which can cope with the ‘modern media environment’.
In a statement released today, the national broadcaster said it would re-structure eight capital city newsrooms.
More ABC staff to be made redundant – ABC says it will cut 20 editorial staff from its under-resourced state newsrooms in blow to local news coverage pic.twitter.com/NhRkqoEn7c
— MEAA (@withMEAA) April 30, 2018
Good move. The minds of the people can be controlled from Headquarters. Why waste their billion on news when the money is better spent on indoctrinating the young through ABC ME. Eight year olds need more ads and apps for Mardi Gras, mental health and how to kill evil white men.
By “Headquarters” I can only assume you mean Canberra or the PM’s office.
Without having more details a key question here is how the ABC is defining LOCAL. The ABC continues to invest in regional ABC. Good. Sure there will be arguments about where and how much. When I was a metro-based journalist I found some great stories in the suburbs – and a good story is a good story. How come ABC’s Parramatta bureau – in the real heart of Sydney – came and went? Where are other bureaus in suburban Melbourne. None. Mind-boggling.
Gosford got one in 2003. Geelong got something like one a few years ago. There could be dedicated services for Western Sydney or South East Melbourne at some point.
But more important than bureaus is the reporter to resident ratio. This is much better in regional Australia than the metro areas.
I’m reading this story on a mobile device and also not on an ABC web service so I guess the landscape has changed. Nonetheless newsrooms need Journalists