A New Zealand newspaper publisher announced Thursday it plans to outsource much of its editorial production to another company — a move that brought a pledge from unions to fight the proposal.
APN New Zealand, half-owned by Irish businessman Tony O’Reilly’s Dublin-based Independent Newspapers Ltd., told staff up to 70 editorial staff jobs would be lost if it sources some editorial production from an outside supplier.
The company said in a statement it is evaluating a plan to buy production services from Pagemasters New Zealand, a Melbourne-based subsidiary of news agency Australian Associated Press.
It would be a first in New Zealand newspapers, though main rival Fairfax Media New Zealand outsources some non-editorial functions to private suppliers.
APN’s titles include The New Zealand Herald, the nation’s largest daily, provincial dailies The Northern Advocate, Hawke’s Bay Today, Bay of Plenty Times, and The Daily Post. Other titles affected are weekly giveaway The Aucklander, The Listener magazine and weekender Herald on Sunday.
Newspaper and magazine editors would retain total control of all published material, APN said. Content selection, design and layout of main news and sport pages also would continue at each local site. Reporting and news gathering activities would not be affected.
The company declined further comment on the plan.
If adopted, it would be implemented at the New Zealand Herald from July and in other papers after that, said Simon Collins, a delegate of the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union who attended the company briefing.
Editorial staff at the Herald would be cut by 20-25 percent, he said.
Collins said staff were shocked by the proposal but the same strategy had recently been announced at newspapers owned by O’Reilly in Ireland.
Union national secretary Andrew Little said the cost-cutting exercise would have a major impact on the quality of news. The move was revolutionary in the newspaper industry and unproven on such a scale, he said, adding the union would fight the plan.
Fairfax Media New Zealand Chief Executive Joan Withers said a similar move “is not on our agenda.”
