April 13, 2007
EPMU condemns APN outsourcing, launches OurMedia! campaign
APN's plans to outsource its newspaper and magazine subediting to an Australian-owned contractor will be met with strong
opposition says the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union.
The EPMU, which represents New Zealand's media workers, put its case against outsourcing to the media giant and launched
the OurMedia! campaign for quality news today.
EPMU National Secretary Andrew Little says the fact that APN is putting profit before news quality at the same time as
TVNZ is cutting news and current affairs staff to save money shows the need for a strong campaign for media standards.
"Like TVNZ's proposal yesterday, APN's decision to centralise subediting in Auckland is about putting profit margins
ahead of quality news, especially in the regions.
"Over the years we've seen the erosion of pay and conditions in the media industry as well as the stretching of
resources and the drop in quality that comes with it. APN's plans to create assembly-line subediting represents a
further attack on our news and our democracy.
"New Zealanders rely on the news for quality information about what's happening in their country and in their
communities and base important decisions on that information. It's time to make media companies take responsibility for
their role in the democratic process rather than let them simply chase profits."
International Federation of Journalists President Christopher Warren says APN's plan will be bad news for journalists
around the world.
"This has never been tried anywhere on this scale and as a potential model for other outlets it represents a threat not
only to New Zealand's news but to news around the world."
The EPMU represents nearly 5000 print and media workers across the country and the IFJ represents more than half a
million journalists worldwide.
ENDS