Fairfax Kills OFF Broadsheets and Lifts Profits

Fairfax Media’s familiar broadsheets have been consigned to the history books, with the first tabloid editions of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age rolling off the printing presses this morning.

In what is more of a survival strategy than a cosmetic overhaul, the larger broadsheet layout has been dumped for the weekday editions as Fairfax Media fights to hold onto readers and advertisers in a digital media world that has forced the closure of papers around the globe.

Apart from just size – which Fairfax amusingly refers to as compact rather than tabloid -  one of the biggest changes puts sport on to the back pages, with the very back page taken up by an advertisement, nice work.

Fairfax’s head of advertising strategy, Sarah Keith, says the company put in some very serious research. Brain imaging was used to track what readers really wanted during the entire redesign process, with some resounding plus’ for the new tabloid sized compact papers :: Read the full article »»»»

UPDATE! World of the News, Fairfax Media Confirms Jobs Going Offshore

Last month we reported on that shrinking Australian media behemoth that is Fairfax Media, is apparently planning to send jobs offshore by relocating production of its regional newspapers to New Zealand.

The proposed changes will affect 66 Fairfax staffers, Media, Ethics & Arts Alliance – MEAA – said via statement today.

Fairfax said the affected staff would be offered voluntary redundancies or redeployment, however, some staff may also be forced into redundancy.

The affected newspapers include the Illawarra Mercury, Newcastle Herald and seven associated community titles including the Lake Times, Kiama Independent, Newcastle Star, Myall Coast Nota, Port Stephens Examiner and Lakes Mail. Read the full previous post.

UPDATE! FAIRFAX HAS CONFIRMED – JOBS ARE GOING OFFSHORE: Newcastle Herald and Illawarra Mercury workers have failed in their bid to stave off job losses under a plan by Fairfax Media to transfer editorial production to New Zealand.

Fairfax has confirmed a total of 41 production jobs will be axed from newspapers in the Newcastle region, including the Newcastle Herald, and 25 jobs will go from the Illawarra Mercury. It says the changes are part of moves to increase efficiency in its newsrooms.

The Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance – MEAA - asked Fairfax to continue doing the work locally through the creation of a virtual sub hub that it claimed would be more cost-efficient :: Read the full article »»»»

World of the News! Australia’s Fairfax Media Sends Jobs Offshore

That shrinking Australian media behemoth that is Fairfax Media, is apparently planning to send jobs offshore by relocating production of its regional newspapers to New Zealand.

The proposed changes will affect 66 Fairfax staffers, Media, Ethics & Arts Alliance – MEAA – said via statement today.

Fairfax said the affected staff would be offered voluntary redundancies or redeployment, however, some staff may also be forced into redundancy.

The affected newspapers include the Illawarra Mercury, Newcastle Herald and seven associated community titles including the Lake Times, Kiama Independent, Newcastle Star, Myall Coast Nota, Port Stephens Examiner and Lakes Mail.

Workers were told about the plans this afternoon and Fairfax has announced the move on the papers’ websites.

Fairfax says the changes are part of a “wider company strategy to pursue operational efficiencies while strengthening the focus on audience growth and producing quality content”.

Fairfax says no reporting or photographic positions would be affected :: Read the full article »»»»