Regional areas should not be at the frontline of journalism job cuts according to Deputy Leader of the Nationals in the Senate, Fiona Nash.
The regional Australia-based senator was reacting to news of 66 job cuts from regional Fairfax-owned newspapers and reports News Ltd is also planning major editorial staff cuts.
“People living outside the cities, who often have poor internet connections rely heavily on the print versions of their local newspapers and are fiercely loyal to their local press,” Senator Nash said.
“They simply cannot get the local information they need from the nation’s major dailies.”
“That is why regional newspapers are actually performing better than the metro press, and that is why if staff reductions are necessary they should not begin in the regions.”
“The big media companies who own these local newspapers need to be aware that regional readers will not tolerate cost cutting that reduces the quality of their daily news.”
“I cannot see how people in regional Australians can possibly get the accurate and up to date news they need if editorial staff are working thousands of kilometres away in Wellington New Zealand,” Senator Nash concluded.
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