Pacific Magazines reveals 11 redundancies as it looks to further reduce cost base before 30 June
Pacific Magazines is set to reduce its cost base before 30 June, with 11 redundancies planned and consultations underway with sub-editors across all brands about a proposal to outsource their work to external sub copy business, Pagemasters.
In an email addressed to staff obtained by Mumbrella, CEO Gereurd Roberts told the company consultations had commenced with sub-editors about a proposal which would see a customised subbing solution build for Pacific Magazines, involving staff with expertise in the categories where the brands operate.
This heading is extremely misleading. Sub-editors and staff yesterday were told that nearly ALL of the subs would lose their jobs.
Chief subs might get to hold onto theirs (to oversee the work of PageMasters), and a very small number of other subs “may” get the chance to work at PageMasters.
This will be a disaster for Pacific’s titles. Quality will plummet and the company will be forced to reverse its decision – although many suspect SevenWest is simply slashing costs to prepare for a sale of PacMags.
Subs at Pacific were in shock yesterday and retreated to the nearby Camelia Grove pub after the announcement to drown their sorrows.
What a disgrace that Pacmags would compromise quality in an arrangement with Pagemasters [edited under Mumbrella’s comment moderation policy].
After declaring in December that there would be no more redundancies, only six months later this plan comes out. Can they not think of any long-term plan for survival that doesn’t just involve cutting staff?
The Australian public will just stop buying the magazines completely when the standards inevitably fall, and that will be the death of magazines. The future is digital, you may be saying, but how much effort has Pacmags made in the past few years to train their staff (including the 20 or so sub-editors who are being made redundant) in areas such as digital and social, to enable the company to grow and succeed? Not enough, if any.
Let me sub your opening para for you…
‘Pacific Magazines is set to reduce its cost base before 30 June, with 11 redundancies planned and consultations underway with sub-editors across all brands about a proposal to outsource their work to external sub copy business, Pagemasters.’
How about;
‘Pacific Magazines has given its staff barely ten day’s notice of its plan to slash up to 20 jobs from its commercial magazine division, after signing a deal to offshore its sub-editing with New Zealand-based outfit Pagemasters. The redundancies will take affect before June 30, according to an email from CEO Gereurd Roberts that was leaked by staff.’
No need to sugar-coat this with Pac Mag’s own bullshit PR spin. ‘Should the proposal proceed’, my arse. Beancounters can’t make great magazine products, but they can sure gut the ability of a publishing house to do just that.
Actually, inspired thinking
Pagemasters has a fantastic track record
Did that guy really say PAC mags is one of the fastest growing digital media businesses in the country? No problem then. All fixed. He’s clever for a 22 yr old.
One of the top 10,000 fastest growing digital media businesses in the country.
As a former Pac Mags sub, I can assure you there was NO training on offer to help everyone transition to new digital platforms or anything they have planned for the future.
Standards will drop immediately and while some straight-forward stories could easily be edited by Pagemasters, for others, like those with a lot of product information for example, it will just be a disaster.
I feel sick for all of the subs, but clearly it’s a dying profession. Or at least dying in the traditional magazine model.