Baz publisher Hagemann defends job cuts
Matthias Hagemann, Chairman of the Board of Directors and majority shareholder of Basler Zeitung Medien AG with his family, justifies the cutbacks at the Baz editorial office with the impending economic crisis. Despite the reduction in staff by a fifth, little is to change at the paper.
Matthias Hagemann, Chairman of the Board of Directors and majority shareholder of Basler Zeitung Medien AG with his family, justifies the cutbacks at the Baz editorial office with the impending economic crisis. Despite the reduction in staff by a fifth, little is to change at the paper.
In contrast to the last major round of savings, he is now actually "very satisfied with the newspaper", Hagemann told SDA on Thursday. He would prefer not to change anything about the paper if it weren't for the "economic pressure". Job advertisements had already halved within a few months. Commercial advertising, on the other hand, still looks quite good at the moment. But it is hard to know how the crisis will continue to affect it. All we know is that the media are facing a serious crisis.
The reduction is not a direct reaction to current figures, but a preparation for what is to be feared. If action were only taken after a slump in advertising, this would be too late due to the notice periods.
Hagemann takes note of the fact that the editorial team rejects the proposed social plan; this will still be negotiated. He wants a social plan that is as generous as possible. Funds for this should also come from his own pocket.
For the readership, BaZ should offer "as much as possible the same offer as before", albeit with fewer pages. Such an increase in productivity - which is common in the economy - does not simply mean more stress, because processes can also be simplified and capacity gained. Hagemann also refers to the budget for the newspaper's freelance staff, which amounts to several million francs. This fact puts the circumstances into perspective.
In contrast to the last major round of savings, he is now actually "very satisfied with the newspaper", Hagemann told SDA on Thursday. He would prefer not to change anything about the paper if it weren't for the "economic pressure". Job advertisements had already halved within a few months. Commercial advertising, on the other hand, still looks quite good at the moment. But it is hard to know how the crisis will continue to affect it. All we know is that the media are facing a serious crisis.
The reduction is not a direct reaction to current figures, but a preparation for what is to be feared. If action were only taken after a slump in advertising, this would be too late due to the notice periods.
Hagemann takes note of the fact that the editorial team rejects the proposed social plan; this will still be negotiated. He wants a social plan that is as generous as possible. Funds for this should also come from his own pocket.
For the readership, BaZ should offer "as much as possible the same offer as before", albeit with fewer pages. Such an increase in productivity - which is common in the economy - does not simply mean more stress, because processes can also be simplified and capacity gained. Hagemann also refers to the budget for the newspaper's freelance staff, which amounts to several million francs. This fact puts the circumstances into perspective.
