Journalism.co.uk Editors' Blog » Job losses

The Jobless Journalist: Post seven – Shifting my job search

The Jobless Journalist — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:21:16 +0000

I started this blog as a recently redundant journalist, but, while not fully re-employed, for the past couple of months I’ve been doing shifts on the website of a national paper.

This has its pros and cons. Obviously, an income – albeit modest and inconsistent – is a welcome thing and the experience is invaluable. But the hours are irregular which makes it hard to plan when to do job applications (or write blog posts).

Working night shifts and weekends not only puts paid to your social life, it also tends to throw your body clock so that doing normal things things like buying toothpaste or keeping a doctor’s appointment become strangely impossible.

So when you see an advert for a job with a closing date in a week’s time, it’s an uphill struggle to get the application done when you might be working a five-day week with a couple of nights thrown in.

On the plus side, shift work affords you greater freedom and flexibility to take up other freelance jobs, and in the fallow weeks where you only have a couple of shifts it’s worth trying to cram in as many job applications and CV updates as you can.

The real beauty of shift work, particularly on a website where you’re expected to write, sub-edit and edit pages, is that there will be plenty of new skills to add to your CV.

Even if it feels like you’re treading water, the fact that you’re out there building on your experience will make you eminently more employable than someone who has been out of the loop for a while.

And talking of loops – as it’s been three months since I was made redundant, I’ve also decided to get out my contacts book again. It’s time to revisit all the editors and journalists I approached first time round to remind them that I’m still here and still available for work.

This is the sixth post in a series from an anonymous UK-based journalist recently made redundant. To follow the series, you can subscribe to this feed.

You can also read posts by our previous ‘Redundant Journalist’ blogger at this link.

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MediaWeek to go online-only; 18 Brand Media editorial jobs cut

Judith Townend — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:31:49 +0000

Due to a restructure at Haymarket, MediaWeek is to end its print edition and publish online-only, as part of a BrandRepublic.com team.

Today’s issue (November 17) is the last, the publication has reported. Monthly digital marketing magazine Revolution is to become a quarterly supplement.

Eighteen editorial positions (out of 58) will be lost from Brand Media, the group reported.

“We will do everything we can to keep job losses to a minimum, and we are looking to redeploy affected staff in other parts of the group,” said Jane Macken, managing director of Haymarket Brand Media.

“I would like to place on record my appreciation of the efforts of all our editorial staff. Throughout a very difficult time they have continued to produce editorial content of exceptionally high quality.”

It’s the latest of the media industry titles to feel the pinch: in April 2009, Press Gazette’s closure was announced, before it was bought by Progressive Media and re-opened.

Mediaweek: Current TV cuts 80 staff across global offices

Laura Oliver — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:03:11 +0000

Current TV, the cable channel backed by former US vice president Al Gore, is to cut 80 full-time positions as part of a restructuring.

Jobs will be lost in Current’s Los Angeles, San Francisco and London offices. But Current says the cuts are not down to cost-cutting, but part of a ‘reallocation of resources’ and change to its programming, including more long-form programmes and bought-in content.

Full story at this link…

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UPDATE: Guardian to cut 100 jobs; GNM running at £100,000-a-day loss

Laura Oliver — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:48:19 +0000

Following news that the Observer is to cut sections and drop monthly supplements, there were reports yesterday of more than 100 job cuts at owners Guardian News & Media.

The cuts will be made to offset losses as GNM is currently running at a loss of £100,000 a day, according to Brand Republic, and were announced following a strategic review of the group’s papers.

A voluntary redundancy scheme has been introduced and cuts will affect staff across commerical and editorial departments.

The Guardian’s print technology supplement, published on a Thursday, will also be cut and moved online-only, as part of the changes.

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Torontoist: ‘Why the Star needs its own editors’ – an editor’s red-pen revenge

Laura Oliver — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:26:51 +0000

Last week the Toronto Star announced plans to outsource around 100 editing jobs – an announcement met with red pen by one alleged ‘editor’ from the paper, who sub-edited the memo from Star publisher John Cruickshank in their own unique way…

New headline: “Why the Star needs its own editors”

New deck: “No one else has experience, knowledge and investment in the Star’s excellence to maintain the ‘brand’, say journalists.”

Full post at this link…

(HT Boing Boing)

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Did you lose your newspaper job? Help us with our survey

Judith Townend — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:45:27 +0000

A call to all journalists who have left newspaper jobs: Journalism.co.uk’s survey in collaboration with the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) continues. We’ve had a good response so far, but we still need more data to make for a more informed study. Since we launched the project, even more UK redundancies have been announced; this week, for example, 17 were cut by Trinity Mirror (this time in Merseyside). Please help us by re-tweeting, blogging and forwarding the survey links to people you think may have been affected by the newspaper jobs cull sweeping Britain.

We want to know about your experiences of losing your job and how you have adapted in your personal and professional life since leaving the newspaper. We’re also considering the gap in knowledge and experience you have left behind.

The survey, which draws on work by colleagues in the US and the University of Kansas, is voluntary and confidential. Results cannot be attributed to a specific individual unless the individual chooses to reveal himself or herself. You also can refuse to answer any question. The survey will take 10 to 15 minutes to complete.

Journalism.co.uk / UCLAN survey: ‘What do UK journalists do after losing their jobs?‘

Journalism.co.uk: ‘Is there life after journalism?’

Take the survey at this link

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paidContent.org: GNM laying off six US employees

Judith Townend — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:41:26 +0000

PaidContent (owned by Guardian News & Media) reports that Guardian America is laying off six ‘production/edit’ employees: “Most of them are in Guardian’s Washington DC office, and have been given three months notice. None of the U.S. correspondents are affected by this move.”

Last month paidContent reported GNM was to axe GuardianAmerica.com.

Full post at this link…

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paidContent:UK: Award-winning news site Soitu.es closes

Laura Oliver — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 08:30:29 +0000

Twice recognised in the Online News Association’s (ONA) annual awards, Spanish news site Soitu.es has announced its closure.

Building an audience was not the issue – attracting advertisers to a new model was the problem, Gumersindo Lafuente, founder of the site, has said (in a post attracting 760 comments so far).

At 22-months-old, Soitu’s closure will be a blow/lesson to news start-ups and independent sites recently launched.

Full story at this link…

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London Lite could close following consultation

Judith Townend — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:04:27 +0000

Associated Newspapers today announced that it is entering a period of consultation over the future of the London Lite, which could see the free evening publication close. Thirty-six London Lite employees will be consulted before a final decision is made, a statement said.

“The latest development in the London afternoon free newspaper space dictates that we look again at the future of London Lite. Despite reaching a large audience with an excellent editorial format, we are concerned about the commercial viability in this highly competitive area,” said Steve Auckland, managing director, Associated Newspapers Free Division.

In August, News International, the UK newspaper division of News Corporation announced that it would close thelondonpaper, its free evening newspaper launched in 2006.

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Trinity Mirror announces exit for Birmingham Post and Mail editors

Laura Oliver — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:29:59 +0000

UPDATE – Full report on changes at BPM Media now available on Journalism.co.uk.

Trinity Mirror has announced that Birmingham Mail editor Steve Dyson and Birmingham Post editor Marc Reeves will step down from their roles by the end of the year, as part of wider changes at BPM Media.

Dave Brookes, Coventry Telegraph editor, has been named as editor-in-chief across all BPM titles (Post, Mail, Telegraph and Sunday Mercury) and as editor of the Birmingham Mail.

The changes, which are the result of a consultation at Trinity’s Birmingham division, will include:

The Post going weekly
A risk of approximately 40 editorial redundancies
A further 42 redundancies from the transport, distribution and newspaper sales departments

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