Another sign of the times: every single employee of the Glasgow Herald, Sunday Herald and Evening Times was sacked today and told to reapply for their jobs (on changed – that is, less favourable – terms and conditions of course) if they hope to have some sort of a future in newspapers. Or at least at the Herald Group. Early indications are that the company wants to cut the workforce by something like 20%.
But journalists and readers alike should not fret:
Managing director Tim Blott said: “We are creating an efficient operation fit for the 21st Century which will provide even more compelling and unique content for readers of all three titles and our websites.
“We are committed to producing vibrant and relevant newspapers and websites and see a bright future for The Herald, Sunday Herald and Evening Times and their digital versions.
Why should anyone doubt this?
Standard disclaimer: newspapers have, generally speaking, been lucky over the years. Or rather, there are plenty of other industries and trades that have seen plenty of this sort of stuff before. So there ought not to be too much special pleading from hacks, but, still, this is sad, depressing, even infuriating stuff.
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