Newcastle Herald jobs going to NZ?

A message posted on Facebook to a friend organizing a rally to save jobs for the Newcastle Herald staff.

Forgive me for being negative Debbi. I hate to hear about people losing jobs, it has repercussions on many levels. On an individual level, I have compassion for each of those under threat. I am sure they are all great people (I do know one or two of them). However, a question remains for me. Those who are employed by large corporations like Fairfax can generally be safe in the knowledge that their paycheck will arrive each week, and all of their entitlements will be covered. Termination payments will be honoured, I am sure. A job is about give and take, and those fortunate to have had a steady income for any stretch of time will have benefited from the steady income, even if they have devoted many many long hours in return for that certainty. In my working life, I have been on the wrong end of ruthless staffing decisions many times. I am now involved in a small business where income is erratic and uncertain. I have had to adjust, it's not easy, but I have kids to feed, and life goes on. So my question is this; are those in NZ less entitled to a paying job than someone here in Newcastle? Shouldn't we see this as an ooportunity to redefine how the media operates in this town? Surely our efforts with Laman Street have proven that in terms of local reporting we can do it for ourselves, even if none of us have a University degree in journalism.


Scott Cooper-Johnston