TAS:Hundreds rally against Mercury cuts

AAP General News (Australia)
04-07-2011
TAS:Hundreds rally against Mercury cuts

By Patrick Caruana

HOBART, April 7 AAP - Hundreds have gathered in central Hobart to protest against proposed
job cuts at the Mercury newspaper.

The newspaper's management is deciding the future of 33 editorial staff, with the prospect
of sub-editing jobs moving to so-called "sub hubs" on the mainland looming large.

Hobart-based federal independent MP Andrew Wilkie addressed the Save the Mercury rally
on Thursday, telling the crowd of about 300 Mercury staff and members of the public that
the newspaper needed local knowledge to function.

"This paper, the Mercury, can only be effective at providing scrutiny if you have people
on the ground who understand the situation, understand the personalities," he said.

"People will come to you with stories confident you will report it accurately and as
it goes through the editorial process, knowing that stories won't lose their importance
or lose their punch."

Mr Wilkie said the Mercury had a proud history of difference from other News Limited newspapers.

"Independence really matters, and I think it is remarkable that the Mercury has remained
an independent newspaper with an independent point of view," he said.

"The Mercury stands proud as the only News Limited paper that took, albeit for a short
period of time, an anti-Iraq war position.

"You were the only one to get it right. You should be proud of that and we should not
entertain reforms which will get rid of it in the future."

But Mercury editor Garry Bailey said all important editorial decisions would continue
to be made in Hobart.

"There'll be absolutely no reduction in the amount of local content," he said.

"The premise that the paper is under threat is absolutely wrong. They'll be written
by journalists living in Tasmania. They'll be edited sitting in this very same office.

"I don't intend to move to Melbourne, I can assure you of that, and nor will any future editor."

Mr Bailey would not confirm how many jobs would be lost but said the number would "certainly
be less than 20".

"None of the decisions have been made about the reductions in staff," he said.

"There have been reports that all sub-editing operations will be moved to Melbourne.

That's just nonsense. It will not be all jobs."

AAP pbc/jhp

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