The redundancy broom has swept through the editorial ranks of News Corp Australia, with as many as 18 editorial staff having accepted voluntary redundancy at the Daily Telegraph alone – with talk of the focus turning to the Herald Sun next week.
Sources report a cross-section of journalists, subs, artists and photographers were successful in their applications, with reports of the newspaper's features desk having been "gutted" in the process.
The Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance issued a statement to members asserting the company was looking to make 42 full-time employees redundant as part of local boss Michael Miller and global chief Robert Thomson's stated aim to find $40 million in savings across the Australian operation.
News Corp declined to comment.
The news of redundancies in The Tele news room comes ahead of an expected round of cuts down south at the Herald Sun, which sources say could come as early as next week and may include "some very senior staff members".
One News lifer who might do well to keep an eye out for the axe man is the venerable tabloid editor, the marvellously mellifluous Peter Blunden.
The former editor-in-chief of the Herald Sun, now employed in senior management, was on the receiving end of what looked suspiciously like a farewell party in Melbourne last week – hosted by Miller and HWT chair Penny Fowler.
Held at Rutherglen House and attended by the entire Melbourne mafia, the party (ostensibly to celebrate Blunden's 40 years in the biz) was complemented by a glowing, obit-like write-up on the man himself in Monday's media section of The Australian.
Sounds awfully like the treatment our favourite former Oz editor Chris Mitchell received before he was invited to try his hand as a columnist.
If it were us, Peter, we'd be very afraid.
