"Quality is not just about numbers – how many journalists you have – it is about performance and what our journalists produce," says David Kirk
This article was migrated from an old version of our website in 2025. As a result, it might have some low-quality images or non-functioning links - if there's any issues you'd like to see fixed, get in touch with us at info@journalism.co.uk.
There used to be something here that couldn't be migrated - please contact us at info@journalism.co.uk if you'd like to see this updated! The substantial job cuts announced by Fairfax Media in August were 'ahead of the curve' and will not affect the quality of the group's journalism, its CEO said last night.
The job losses should be considered in the context of the future of print journalism in general and not just the impact they would have on Fairfax's journalism, said David Kirk, in a speech given to the Sydney Institute and seen by Journalism.co.uk.
The 550 redundancies, which account for around five per cent of the publisher's Australian and New Zealand full-time staff, are part of cost-cutting measures introduced by the publisher.
The changes have predominantly affected production staff as opposed to reporters, Kirk explained.
"In the main, technology continues to drive production efficiencies, and we intend to take advantage of it. This has been a fact of life since Gutenberg first invented the printing press and it remains an unstoppable force," he said.
"Quality is not just about numbers – how many journalists you have – it is about performance and what our journalists produce.
"Quantity does not equal quality," he added.
Kirk was keen to stress that the process of integrating the company's print and digital operations, including the redundancies announced, had been 'a bottom-up-driven process, not a draconian top-down diktat' involving both publishers and editors.
The company's print titles now account for less than 20 per cent of its total earnings, compared to 15 per cent provided by its online properties, Kirk added.
But, the CEO said, there were 'strong growth prospects' for Fairfax's print publishing portfolio, which includes both newspaper and magazine titles in Australia and New Zealand.
"In this digital age, we do not have the luxury – economically or culturally – of throwing out the printed word. As media products, our newspapers are constantly evolving and developing. Editorial product development from strong editorial leadership is central to our future. As is the continued development of advertising products.
"We believe in the future of our newspapers. And we are taking the hard steps to ensure they are firmly positioned to compete and succeed and retain their distinctive qualities in the digital age."
The company's print products will continue to bring commercial success 'though with less classified advertising and much more display advertising' and making less of a profit 'than in their heyday'.
Preparing the company for the 'digital age' will build on existing print brands, he added.
"We are an increasingly integrated media company, but each business has particular economics – and importantly, particular potential. Where there is opportunity to improve the short run performance without mortgaging future performance, we have an obligation to do that."
