‘Shotgun wedding’ threatens news independence, say Fairfax staff

Fairfax staff say Nine’s takeover of Fairfax Media threatens its proud history of independence.

Fairfax investigative journalist Kate McClymont addresses fears about the merger with Nine after the announcement on Thursday. Picture: James Croucher

Fairfax investigative reporter Kate McClymont says Nine’s takeover of Fairfax Media creates great uncertainty for the publisher’s journalists whose proud history of independence is now threatened.

“We are two legacy businesses that are both struggling,” McClymont told The Australian yesterday. “Is our shotgun marriage going to create a happy and lasting union?”

McClymont, who has spent her entire career at Fairfax except a two-year stint as a researcher at the ABC’s Four Corners in the 1980s, listened with her colleagues to Nine chief executive Hugh Marks and Fairfax Media chief executive Greg Hywood tell them that, journalistically, it would be business as usual.

Newsrooms at Channel 9 and Fairfax titles The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald would not merge, although it was likely the companies would co-locate, at least in Sydney, Mr Marks and Mr Hywood said.

“In terms of independent journalism, there is no better fit,” Mr Marks said. “I don’t see one big merged newsroom … but being in one place has cultural benefits.”

He also said: “The board is more than happy to adopt the principals of the Fairfax independence charter.’’

Mr Hywood said. “We believe Nine is a great home for the mastheads … with more opportunity for expansion.’’

But McClymont looked into the future and was worried. “The problem at the moment is that it is all about the foreseeable future,” she said. “What happens after that?”

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In Melbourne, The Age’s editor, Alex Lavelle, also told worried journalists it was “business as usual” as they fretted about job losses and independence under Nine. Lavelle addressed his newsroom at Media House headquarters shortly after 1pm.

Staff pushed him on The Age’s independence and job losses, ­according to journalists present. One source said Lavelle suggested there would no job losses, while another said his language on jobs was “wishy-washy”. Both were sceptical.

But Fairfax reporters did not launch immediate strike action. The Age’s union house committee chairman Clay Lucas said it was “too early to tell” if there would be any strikes.

“Staff were fairly shocked by this morning’s message from Greg Hywood,” Lucas said.

“There is a commitment to cut $50 million over two years. There’s a real concern that’s going to lead to journalists losing their jobs.”

One Age journalist, who did not want to be identified, said fears about job losses eased as the day progressed.

Several told The Australian they learned about the merger on news websites and Twitter in the morning. Another said they found out while watching the news on Nine. Some pointed out the discrepancy between high union membership at The Age and low membership at Nine, and the ­impact this would have on enterprise bargaining agreements.

Lucas, The Age’s city editor, said his colleagues’ current focus was their independence from their new owners.

“I think the feeling is that we need a commitment from both Nine and Fairfax Media that they are going to sign up to a charter of editorial independence,” he said.

“That’s the thing that is most important to staff at The Age.”

Lucas said it was not yet clear to see how Nine’s “takeover” would affect the Melbourne masthead.

“It’s too early to know what the positives might be,” he said. “It’s too early to know what the negatives might be.

“You can’t argue (there will) be less media players as a result of this merger. And it’s a takeover.”

The journalists’ union, the Media, Entertainment & Arts ­Alliance, called on the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission to block the merger.

“This takeover reduces media diversity,” MEAA Media president Marcus Storm said. “It threatens the editorial independence of great newsrooms at Nine, The ­Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, Canberra Times, Illawarra Mercury, Newcastle Herald, Macquarie Media and more — right around the country.

“It harms the ability of an independent media to scrutinise and investigate the powerful, threatens the functioning of a healthy democracy, undermines the quality journalism that our communities rely on for information.”