CMEDIA: The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) was reportedly disappointed to learn that nearly three dozen unionized journalists at Global News bureaus spread across the country were laid off this week.
35 jobs have been lost, according to reporting by CBC News. While twenty-five positions were cut in Western Canada, 13 in Calgary, eight in Edmonton, one in Vancouver and three in Lethbridge.with the remaining 10 losses coming from Ontario: three in Global’s Ottawa bureau and seven in Toronto.
An official statement has not yet been issued by Corus, the parent company of Global News to confirm the total number of jobs lost or the specific names of journalists who have lost their jobs.
Through multiple sources, The CAJ has learned that among those laid off is veteran news anchor Farah Nasser, who aired her final newscast today.
“It is extremely disappointing that, once again, front-line journalists are the ones who bear the brunt of the industry’s broken business model,” said Brent Jolly, president of the CAJ. “Layoffs may serve as a short-term stopgap to beleaguered balance sheets but they further destabilize, and shortchange, democracy.”
An internal memo distributed to Global News employees, and reported on by CBC News, Corus said that the changes are “designed to prepare our news division for more economic pressure…and monopolize the Canadian advertising landscape.”
The job losses at Global News come in the wake of two major developments that impact the parent company’s finances.
Corus announced last week that it was losing programming arrangements with Warner Bros. Discovery at the end of the year including arrangements with major entertainment brands, including HGTV, the Food Network and others.
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) on the other hand, directed foreign streaming services, such as Netflix and Spotify, to pay five per cent of their annual Canadian profits into a fund to support local news and the production of Canadian content.
Regulatory and policy changes are desperately needed, the CAJ agrees, to support Canadian journalism in this time of vast technological change. Public service investigative journalism, which serves as the lifeblood of accountability in Canada, cannot be marginalized in a time of increased political and social polarization.
“Today, so many journalists, particularly women and journalists of colour…with employment insecurity…an exceptional threat to press freedom in Canada that threatens to undermine our democratic way of life,” said Jolly.
“Furloughing more than two dozen journalists…Alberta is absolutely devastating. Journalism trades in truth and accountability and sacrificing journalists…Canadian communities susceptible to mis and disinformation campaigns that can quickly spread like wildfire, if left unchecked.”
Additional information about this latest round of layoffs would be shared by the CAJ when it can be confirmed.
CAJ added that we stand in solidarity with our Global colleagues during this difficult time.
Canada’s largest national professional organization for journalists from all media, representing members across the country, the CAJ’s primary roles are to provide high-quality professional development for its members and public-interest advocacy.
For further information: Brent Jolly, president, Canadian Association of Journalists, brent@caj.ca
