Outrage over Naspers' ‘ill-treatment' of senior news staff

“This is indeed shocking news. One understands that the economic situation is very poor and that companies are faced with the prospect of having to retrench staff in order to survive.

“However, there are several features about this bizarre move to which staff could rightfully object,” veteran editor and media rights campaigner Raymond Louw told Bizcommunity.com yesterday, Tuesday, 19 January 2010.

A rude awakening

Freelance journalist and blogger Mandy de Waal yesterday reported on www.mandylives.com that Naspers gave journalists and other workers at Media24 and Fin24 a rude awakening by telling them they may just have to start looking for other
jobs.

“This is strictly a voluntary severance offer: it is entirely up to you whether you want to apply for a package. It should nevertheless be noted that there is no guarantee there will not be mandatory layoffs in the future - possibly on less favourable terms - should financial performance not improve,” Fin24.com CEO Tim Spira was quoted as saying.

Louw, however, is appalled by what appears to be an aspect of ill-treatment of, and ingratitude toward loyal and experienced workers.

He said: “It is also noted that the people targeted appear to be those who have served the company loyally for a long period and again they could rightfully protest that such inconsiderate, indeed cynical treatment, is unacceptable.

Was there any attempt to seek solutions?

“There appears to be no attempt to discuss the financial problems with the staff, and to seek solutions which would reduce the loss of jobs and thus loss of income by incumbents who would now face an uncertain future in a climate where a million jobs have been lost in the last year and where the possibility of gaining employment elsewhere is extremely limited.

“It is imposing hardship which aging staff members may have great difficulty overcoming.”

De Waal, who criticised Naspers' Koos Bekker as not having fondness for mature talent, also reported that the senior staff's dumping is in line with his thinking that that young talent will drive Naspers' digital ‘success'.

De Waal's blog quoted insiders as saying that Bekker said people over 35 care less about the internet.

However, in this age of newsroom's juniorisation and deterioration of news reporting mostly due to overworked and underpaid journalists' exodus to well-paying sectors such as government, some observers believe Naspers' move could be counter-productive and could backfire in the future.

Move may backfire

“I think Naspers may live to regret the targeting of senior editorial staff. It is also noted that the concentration is on removing editorial staff rather than staff from all departments,” Louw, deputy chairman of the SA Chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa, said.

“The consequences for the standard of news gathering, reporting and presentation of editorial material and thus the quality of the group's newspapers can be serious.”

He also said the recognised rule of last in, first out is summarily rejected without discussion, saying staff members will have every right to protest at such an intolerable approach.

“The choice of senior staff for this operation is ominous. One cannot comment on the suggested reason that the company does not believe the older staff can cope with the internet, which seems bizarre.

“It runs counter to the decision a year or so ago to appoint a title editor who falls into that age category to a post of exploring and developing the possibilities of the papers' websites and the use of the internet.”

Naspers, which was not available for comment at the time of going to press, is due to release a statement today.