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

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