By Dominique Tassell
A former employee from a regional NewsCorp publication has made scathing comments about the company, stating they want to “warn young journalists” against taking jobs there.
This comes as Maranoa MP David Littleproud has slammed the company for “turning its back on regional Queensland” after it confirmed it will no longer distribute newspapers to bush communities from 26 September.
“I want to warn a lot of young journalists about NewsCorp because I feel like a lot of us think this is going to be our only option and then we are so exploited and degraded,“ the former NewsCorp employee said.
They stated that every job has its challenges but their previous roles at other outlets didn’t have “this overarching pressure to sell subscriptions”.
Reportedly, NewsCorp journalists must show they have brought in five subscriptions through their articles every week.
The former staff member says that other community newspapers are “all about producing good quality local news, which should be our only job and priority as journalists”.
“We aren’t sales people, and our success as journalists should not be dependent on how many subscriptions you sell.“
The Toowoomba Chronicle has this week laid off “a small handful” of advertising roles, reportedly five or six.
Reportedly, the advertising team for the company’s specials papers is being migrated down South.
Our source says the advertising staff at The Toowoomba Chronicle all signed job disclosure agreements; however one staff member did post on social media stating “I am gutted”.
A staff member at Warwick Daily News has also recently left and will reportedly not be replaced.
This is in additional to the paper moving online and laying off staff last year.
Regional journalism has taken multiple hits recently, creating an increasingly precarious situation.
WIN News moved to a state model and closed five bulletins in Queensland earlier this year, including the Toowoomba and Darling Downs bulletin.
Local papers also saw their print funding lowered when the state government amended legislation so that it was no longer mandatory to publish listings in print, and they could instead be uploaded to the department’s own website or through online news sites.
The Katter Australia Party, whose founder Bob Katter recently visited Allora, was a vocal critic of these changes at the time.
KAP Party Leader and Traeger MP Robbie Katter, said in recent years Queensland’s rural and regional communities had been failed by media bosses trading regional papers and bulletins for metro ratings, and that the Government needed to make legislative changes in support of the industry.
Mr Katter said regional journalists committed to informing residents in regional areas were “being left jobless through inaction by the Government as well as callousness by the private sector, relegating a once-thriving industry into disrepair“.
He said rural and regional residents, unable to access local and reliable news content, would be the greatest victims of the trend.
“Local journalism is on its knees, and this is in no one’s best interest.”
Maranoa MP David Littleproud has called out News Corp for turning its back on regional Queensland as the media giant has confirmed it will no longer distribute newspapers to bush communities from 26 September.
Mr. Littleproud stated that “News Corp’s catchphrase ‘We’re for you’ is a total farse”.
“It only applies to those living in a city because News Corp has drawn a line on a map of Queensland and said it won’t distribute newspapers past that point,” he said.
“This is a heartless decision by News Corp that leaves bush communities in the dark and shows a level of discrimination just because of your postcode.
“This move changes the landscape of news and affects businesses – like newsagents and local freight companies – as News Corp starves this industry in the bush.
“When I first heard of News Corp’s intention to cease newspaper distribution in western communities, I contacted News Corp to request they not cease distribution, but rather work with local newsagents and freight companies to find a viable solution moving forward.
“While News Corp did initially meet with some newsagency owners to discuss the situation, there was minimal contact from News Corp after that.
“The newsagency owners and freight companies were the ones making all the effort to find a way forward – they did their utmost to put workable solutions forward to News Corp to keep newspapers in their rural communities – but News Corp just wouldn’t budge on their decision.
“I am extremely disappointed with News Corp and I have written to News Corp’s Managing Director Jason Scott to ask that he continue to look for a workable solution through a shared freight mechanism with other businesses, or at least hold a trial period to test some new options.
“I hope News Corp will do the right thing by rural Australians and rural businesses and opt to reverse their decision and continue distribution.
“For many of our seniors, printed content is their only way to stay informed with community, state and national news. Taking away that valuable resource leaves communities in the dark and puts them at a disadvantage to their city counterparts.
“Not to mention the significant implications for businesses in regional Queensland who will have these publications unfairly ripped from their shelves.”
