Login / RegisterGeoff Meggs offers insights into the magnitude of Vancouver Sun and Province cutbacks
A long time ago, Vancouver city councillor Geoff Meggs earned his living as a journalist. And for a few years, his wife Jan O'Brien was president of what's now known as the Media Union of B.C.
So it shouldn't come as a surprise that Meggs has provided the best information so far about the extent of the downsizing at the Vancouver Sun and Province newspapers.
In a post on his website, Meggs mentions that an unnamed reporter informed him that the Province plans to eliminate 12 copy editors, two wire editors, two deputy news editors, and two cartoonists.
Over at the Vancouver Sun, Meggs states that the downsizing will mean the loss of eight news editors, one national editor, one life editor, one news desk employee, one designer, one senior finance editor, one city desk clerk, and one wire editor.
Last week, employees in the Pacific Newspaper Group library were told that their jobs are also being eliminated.
Meggs describes the library as "a treasure trove of the province's history that lucky reporters could always access".
"This is a vital cultural asset that should be protected," he adds.
Pacific Newspaper Group, owner of the two Vancouver daily papers, is part of Postmedia Network Inc., which lost $11.1 million in its second quarter.
Postmedia took over the newspaper assets of CanWest Global Communications Corp. when the latter company couldn't pay its creditors.
Related article: Geoff Meggs elaborates on previous blog post about Vancouver Sun and Province
Follow Charlie Smith on Twitter at twitter.com/csmithstraight.
LOL!!!they spend the last 20 years telling us how great the BC liberals are and now their newsroom has 1/3 of the employees they had in 2001.......................
i guess the Christy jobs plan isn't working out so well for her biggest supporters Sun/Province
While buyout packages have been proffered, I understood that many were going from beats to General Assignment reporter status. Don't know if actual lay-offs will happen.
So, Charlie, which is correct?
As for the library---maybe Geoff will "nationalize it', should he be the successful candidate in fairview. ;-)
Is sadly ironic that The Sun/Province has destroyed the only thing a newspaper can have to survive which is it's credibility. Constantly running foolish fantasy stories about the glories of the BC Liberals and their former great helmsman Gordon Campbell set themselves up for a huge consumer boycott.
Of course the owners will never admit it, but just like BC Ferries has destroyed itself by overcharging or gouging consumers so has the Sun/Province destroyed itself too..
It believe that Election is quiet right in seeing the irony of the situation.
I gather that you @2nd Nation is the one who is uniformed.
There would be no reasonable buyer for a destroyed credibility publication such as Sun/Province without 180 degree change in editorial view.