Image via WikipediaTorstar, owner of Canada’s largest-circulation daily The Toronto Star, is cutting 160 positions in a restructuring of its newspaper division.
Among the job losses are all 10 of the firm’s Internet production staff.
The Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada has questioned this decision, with official Maureen Dawson saying:
Their message to the world is that they’re all dedicated to the Internet, but then they lay off the whole department
Torstar responded by saying that the sacking of the web production staff will not have an impact on the Star’s commitment to online journalism. It argues that many of the functions have been transferred over time to the editorial department.
The Star ratified a new contract with its staff in January, averting a strike. The three-year agreement is part of its strategy to shift from a traditional print-focused organization to a multimedia operation.
Somehow getting rid of the people who know about web production seems the wrong way to do this.
(Cross-post from Newslab.ca)
Filed under: Canada, internet, journalism, newspapers , Canada, Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada, Toronto Star, Torstar
