Fairfax Media has announced plans to revitalise its newsrooms serving regional, rural and suburban Queensland with a significant investment in new systems, training and equipment for journalists and sales staff.
The proposal is part of an 18-month overhaul of Fairfax’s Australian Community Media (ACM) division aimed at building a stronger, more sustainable, network of locally-focused newspapers and websites.
Staff in Queensland were briefed on Thursday about the proposed changes at Queensland Country Life, Redland City Bulletin, Jimboomba Times, Beaudesert Times, Mount Isa’s North West Star and the North Queensland Register, as well as the Katherine Times in the Northern Territory.
Consultation with employees is now under way.
If the proposal goes ahead the company expects voluntary redundancies of around 22 full-time equivalent positions across Queensland, including about 14 full-time equivalent editorial roles as well as some management, administration and sales positions.
ACM director John Angilley said the proposed changes followed extensive consideration of the needs of the business.
"We are investing in our newspapers and websites to set them up for the future," he said. “Our mastheads must embrace change."
Under the proposal, ACM newspapers in Queensland and the Northern Territory will be redesigned and made easier to read, and staff at some sites will move to new premises.
Other changes include adjusting the frequency of the North West Star to three days a week, and revitalising the Jimboomba Times with a slightly larger format that also retains its point of difference in the market.
“These publishing changes do not mean a lessening of our commitment to coverage of our local communities - in fact, we will achieve even better results by better focusing our resources,” Mr Angilley said.
Staff were briefed on plans to upgrade newsrooms and introduce new technology, digital-first editorial production practices and a vastly improved local sales approach.
"Journalists, photographers and sales teams will work with new skills, capabilities and resources so they can continue to do what they do best - create quality journalism and connect advertisers to our audiences," Mr Angilley said.
The new way of working has been successfully introduced at Fairfax’s ACM publications in south-west NSW, including The Daily Advertiser in Wagga, and is set to be rolled out over the coming weeks at 13 mastheads in regional Victoria.
Recently appointed Queensland and Northern Territory group managing editor Brad Cooper and group sales manager Jane Hedger will lead the proposed changes for the editorial and sales teams, respectively.
“No final decisions have been made," Mr Angilley said. "It remains business as usual in other parts of our business.”
ACM’s hundreds of newspapers and digital network of more than 140 websites serve local communities in every state and territory.
