Blick" newsroom: all editorial teams merged, heads of department dismissed
Starting in March 2010, the Blick Group will consolidate all editorial departments into a single newsroom. Department heads must reapply for their positions, and salaries will be renegotiated. As the Basler Zeitung reported on Wednesday, a staff briefing on this matter took place on Tuesday at the Bernhard Theater in Zurich, which had been announced on Twitter.
According to Marc Walder, Managing Director of Ringier Switzerland, who now has overall operational responsibility for the "Newsroom" project, it is necessary to keep pace with the rapid development of new digital media and supply readers and users 24 hours a day on all channels in order to keep up with the competition. Walder is leaving no stone unturned in the restructuring of the newsroom. In addition to an administration department, eight large departments will be created to supply all channels.
This means that all previous department heads have been removed and must apply for the news, politics, business, people, lifestyle, sport, image and layout departments by November 13. External applications will also be considered. All these positions should be filled by December 1. According to Basler Zeitung, the remaining employees should then also know their place in the newsroom by February 16, if they have one. The four editors-in-chief will coordinate the exchange of news in management teams. In the event of a dispute, CEO Walder himself will decide.
This means that all previous department heads have been removed and must apply for the news, politics, business, people, lifestyle, sport, image and layout departments by November 13. External applications will also be considered. All these positions should be filled by December 1. According to Basler Zeitung, the remaining employees should then also know their place in the newsroom by February 16, if they have one. The four editors-in-chief will coordinate the exchange of news in management teams. In the event of a dispute, CEO Walder himself will decide.
