Postmedia has told staff that it will be closing Vancouver newsrooms and to work from home, according to a leaked memo obtained by The Globe and Mail.
The editor-in-chief of The Province and Vancouver Sun, Harold Munro, sent the memo. It states that staff “have the tools and talent to thrive away from the office.”
“This is to inform you that Postmedia plans to sublease the newsroom and office space.”
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Over the past several months, Postmedia had made significant changes to its national operations, starting last September when it announced its plans to stop the production of Monday newspapers in several cities.
In January, we learned that Postmedia was laying off 11% of its editorial staff, gutting the already sparse newsroom. And now, it seems that the newsroom will soon be no more.
In the memo about the newsroom closures, Munro references that staff have found “new ways” to become effective at communicating creatively and effectively “with a level of commitment and professionalism that produces the highest quality journalism in the province.”
The Globe and Mail also reports that journalists have been asked to come in before April 21 to remove belongings, but the memo does not state an explicit deadline for when staff must vacate.
Newsrooms for both The Province and Vancouver Sun are currently located at the Broadway Tech Centre at 2985 Virtual Way.
When layoffs hit Postmedia in January, Martin O’Hanlon, the president of the CWA Canada union representing some Postmedia employees, called the cuts “brutal.”
“They’ve already cut, and cut, and cut, and cut. I mean, they’re already in the basement. And they’ve just dug a new basement,” said O’Hanlon.
We’ve reached out to Postmedia for comment.
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