Newspaper Industry

Posted on 2017-01-02 in Newspaper Industry, Special Sections // 0 Comments

Canadian newspapers might be in decline, but they are still the largest source of journalism in this country.

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Contracts, outcry reduce forced layoffs at some Postmedia papers - DEBORAH RICHMOND | CWA Canada Web Editor UPDATED 2023-03-21 CWA Canada members who work at nine Postmedia newspapers are still reeling from the latest cost-cutting measures although collective agreements have provided some buffers. In Montreal, an outcry in the anglophone community led the company to scale back newsroom layoffs it had planned for The Gazette. The first of a one-two punch was the announcement on Jan. 24 that the chain, which employs about 650 journalists, would lay off 11 per cent of its editorial staff. Less than a week later came another devastating blow: sale of the Windsor Star’s office and printing plant, with the loss of about 75 media jobs as production of the 135-year-old newspaper shifted to facilities in Toronto and London as of March 3. Two weeks later, another axe fell, with 120 advertising sales staff on Postmedia’s chopping block. That included about a dozen CWA Canada members at five Locals and eliminated sales staff entirely at the Kingston Whig-Standard, North Bay Nugget, and the Star in Sault Ste Marie. The same fate for the Sudbury Star was stymied because the Northern Ontario Newspaper Guild (Local 30232) has jurisdiction language in its contract that prevented layoffs of [...]

Open letter to PM Justin Trudeau concerning the online hate and harassment of journalists - The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, P.C., M.P.Prime Minister of Canada80 Wellington StreetOttawa, ON, K1A 0A2 Delivered by email Dear Prime Minister Trudeau, We are writing in relation to the increasing and alarming online hate and harassment targeting journalists and journalism as a profession. This is a global problem, which threatens not only the safety and well-being of journalists, but the proper functioning of democracy itself. Many countries are now working on plans to fight back. We are calling on Canadian police and policymakers to do the same. For the most part, these attacks are aimed at racialized and female journalists who are experiencing an increasing number of targeted, vile threats of violence. The trend is clear. In a 2021 Ipsos survey of journalists, 72 per cent of respondents said they had experienced some form of online harassment. At the time, the CAJ co-signed a statement with many Canadian media organizations, affirming that “there can be no tolerance for hate and harassment of journalists or for incitement of attacks on journalists for doing their jobs.” Yet the problem grows. The volume and nature of the rhetoric in the recent string of attacks has caused many journalists, as well as their respective organizations, to fear for their [...]

Shooting the Messenger: a global survey on credibility attacks against reporters - A global survey is under way as part of an investigation into the harassment and credibility attacks journalists face, the likely sources of those attacks, and their impacts. The Global Reporting Centre, based at the University of British Columbia, is conducting the study — Shooting the Messenger: Credibility Attacks Against Journalists — in collaboration with the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and with support from PEN Canada. Chris Tenove, lead researcher on the project, told PEN Canada they are looking at “efforts to threaten, discredit, harass, and otherwise undermine journalists globally when they are trying to do their jobs. … For years, CPJ has been tracking murders, disappearances, and jailings of journalists. Those blunt tactics continue, but they are now complemented by information campaigns against journalists. These might include spreading false claims about journalists or news outlets, making anonymous threats, or exposing private information about journalists and their family members, and these tactics are often paired with surveillance. Prominent journalists targeted in this way include Rana Ayyub in India, Ronan Farrow in the U.S., and Maria Ressa in the Philippines.” Working journalists over 18 years of age are encouraged to participate. The survey is available in English, French, Hindi, Portuguese [...]

CWA Canada: Online News Act ‘lacks safeguards’ - The Online News Act, which would compel tech titans to share advertising revenues with Canadian media outlets, has been welcomed by CWA Canada President Martin O’Hanlon, but with some major caveats. Following a technical briefing on Bill C-18 after it was tabled in the House of Commons in early April, O’Hanlon said the Act would benefit media organizations, both private and public, including the CBC, which employs thousands of CWA Canada members. However, “we are concerned about a lack of safeguards on several important issues that we raised in our submission to the government last year,” he said. Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez said Bill C-18 would require tech giants like Google and Facebook “to make fair commercial deals with outlets for the news and information that is shared on their platforms.” Media outlets of any size would be able to bargain collectively to level the playing field and have recourse to final offer arbitration. Online advertising revenues in Canada were almost $10 billion in 2020, with two digital platforms taking in 80 per cent of that. It’s a market imbalance the legislation aims to correct. Noting that almost 450 news outlets have closed since 2008 and a third of [...]

CWA Canada seeks clarity on Postmedia plans for NB papers - President Martin O’Hanlon said CWA Canada has requested a meeting with Postmedia in the wake of its announced purchase of Irving-owned newspapers, which include three dailies at which the media union represents workers. Brunswick News owns all of the English-language print publications in the province — six weeklies plus The Daily Gleaner in Fredericton, Saint John Telegraph-Journal and the Moncton-based Times & Transcript. O’Hanlon said he wants Postmedia to clarify its plans and will be seeking assurances that it will improve the newspapers and hire more staff. “Postmedia CEO Andrew MacLeod says he looks forward to continuing the Brunswick News ‘legacy’,” O’Hanlon said. “Unfortunately, that legacy is diminished newsrooms and lack of resources.” “We will be pushing Postmedia to improve the newspapers, we will ensure employees’ rights are defended, and we will fight for a stronger collective agreement when it comes time for bargaining.” Toronto-based Postmedia, which already owns 120 titles, including 10 dailies at which CWA Canada represents workers, is the largest publisher in the country. Its acquisition of Brunswick News extends its reach from coast-to-coast, noted O’Hanlon. “Unfortunately, this is another blow to media diversity. It’s just replacing a provincial newspaper monopoly (Irving) with a national one.” David Arsenault, president of the Moncton Typographical [...]