32 West Australian journalists axed in newspaper cull

More than 30 journalists will leave The West Australian and Sunday Times newspapers in Perth through redundancies.

More than 30 journalists will leave The West Australian and Sunday Times newspapers in Perth as part of senior editor Anthony De Ceglie’s voluntary redundancy program.

Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance WA director Tiffany Venning said 32 staff are confirmed to be going at this stage, with some still to hold talks with De Ceglie tomorrow.

De Ceglie said the group has been “pretty upfront about our process of moving the West into a proper seven-day newsroom”, and part of that process was voluntary redundancies.

Among those leaving is state political editor Gary Adshead, who is The West Australian’sbig news breaker.

“Gary is among one of the people who has decided to put his hand up for the voluntary redundancies,” De Ceglie told radio station 6PR.

Staff had about two weeks to express interest in taking voluntary redundancy, and had to notify the company by April 12. The newspapers have about 190 staff, Ms Venning told The Australian.

De Ceglie took the reins in January, and a month later Seven West Media announced plans to move its newspapers behind a paywall. The news was flagged in the group’s interim financial results. The West Australian finalised the acquisition of weekend masthead The Sunday Times from News Corp in 2016.

A Seven West spokesman declined to comment on the job losses.