The Mail & Guardian says it has begun its restructuring process to become a “digital first” publication, which could result in retrenchments.<\/p>\n
The move will affect operations in the newsroom and commercial departments as it looks towards becoming a converged operation.<\/p>\n
The move is to ensure that all parts of the business are working optimally towards a single, profitable business goal, M&G Media chief executive Hoosain Karjieker said on Friday (16 August).<\/p>\n
Karjieker noted that the restructuring could result in positions within the organisation being made redundant, which could, in turn, lead to retrenchment.<\/p>\n
“Staffing needs were going to be reassessed, and it was envisaged that at least 10 positions could become redundant,” he said.<\/p>\n
The company said its “digital first” strategy\u00a0emphasizes\u00a0the greater role digital publishing will play in its future, “and recent appointments had been informed by this strategy”.<\/p>\n
Karjieker advised that the new structure would be implemented in a manner that would secure the longer term financial viability of the organisation.<\/p>\n
M&G Media\u00a0says it has experienced significant growth in its digital audience over the past few years with a 60% growth in audience for M&G Online, a 2,000% rise in its mobile audience and an 81% growth in its overall publisher audience over the past year alone.<\/p>\n
Newly appointed editor-in-chief Chris Roper added that transforming a legacy print business into a digital media business required a total re-engineering of resources and staff.<\/p>\n
This necessitated retraining and repurposing of people, as well as a re-evaluation of business goals. “It’s an exciting enterprise for journalism, as well as a necessary one,” Roper said.<\/p>\n
New M&G editor-in-chief announced<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Mail&Guardian editor resigns<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n